Lawyer who Used ChatGPT to Briefly Explain Fake Cases Admits Failure

Steven Schwartz, a New York lawyer who used an artificial intelligence (AI) tool ChatGPT to file a court brief full of phony legal precedents invented by the tool has asked for leniency from US District Judge P. Kevin Castel. Schwartz claims that he never intended to fool anybody and had no idea that the free AI tool could create fake case citations and court opinions. The technology offered by OpenAI can conduct human-like conversations, pull vast troves of data from the internet, but it also admits that it’s prone to hallucinations and can provide inaccurate information. Schwartz used ChatGPT for his client’s case and admitted that it invented six cases cited in the brief. In response, Schwartz’s team has requested the judge to not sanction him, noting that his and his firm’s reputation had already been tarnished by this episode. Castel adjourned the hearing without specifying the date when he’ll decide on possible sanctions.