Two New York City lawyers have been slapped with fines of $5,000 after submitting court documents containing fabricated quotes and citations generated by an artificial intelligence tool. The lawyers, who acted on behalf of the firm Levidow, Levidow & Oberman, P.C, used the language model ChatGPT to produce legal documents for an injury case against the South American airline Avianca. However, it emerged during proceedings that six of the cited legal cases were imaginary and the tool had generated fake citations containing made-up quotes. The judge wrote that the lawyers lied to the court and acted in bad faith.
Peter LoDuca and Steven A. Schwartz compounded their mistake by lying to the court when they were questioned about the made-up case law. Schwartz offered shifting and contradictory explanations, while LoDuca pretended to be on holiday in a bid for more time. ChatGPT has been used by a number of legal firms in the past and, despite generating many accurate responses, is known to make things up. As a result of the case, the public is becoming increasingly aware of the technology’s limitations. While the latest version of the tool, ChatGPT-4, passed the Bar exam with flying colours in March last year, users are being warned to be cautious about its accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Related to the Above News
What is the news article about?
The news article is about two New York City lawyers who used an artificial intelligence tool called ChatGPT to produce legal documents for an injury case against the South American airline Avianca. They submitted the documents containing fabricated quotes and citations generated by the tool and were fined $5,000 for their wrongdoing.
Which law firm did the lawyers belong to?
The lawyers belonged to the law firm Levidow, Levidow & Oberman, P.C.
How did the lawyers get caught using fake citations?
It emerged during proceedings that six of the cited legal cases were imaginary and had not existed. As a result, the judge found the lawyers to have lied to the court and acted in bad faith.
What did the lawyers do when they were questioned about the made-up case law?
Peter LoDuca pretended to be on holiday in a bid for more time while Steven A. Schwartz offered shifting and contradictory explanations.
Is the use of ChatGPT common in the legal industry?
Yes, the use of ChatGPT has been used by a number of legal firms in the past.
Does ChatGPT generate accurate responses?
While ChatGPT generates many accurate responses, it is known to make things up.
Has ChatGPT passed the Bar exam?
Yes, the latest version of the tool, ChatGPT-4, passed the Bar exam with flying colours in March last year.
Should users be cautious about ChatGPT's accuracy?
Yes, users are being warned to be cautious about ChatGPT's accuracy despite passing the Bar exam.
Please note that the FAQs provided on this page are based on the news article published. While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, it is always recommended to consult relevant authorities or professionals before making any decisions or taking action based on the FAQs or the news article.
