Two New York lawyers fined $5,000 for submitting a legal brief with fictitious case citations generated by AI chatbot, ChatGPT.
Steven Schwartz and Peter LoDuca represented a client suing an airline for injuries in an airplane accident. The cited cases couldn’t be found by the airline’s lawyers, who discovered the deception and confronted Schwartz and LoDuca.
ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is a powerful language model but not a legal research tool. Judge P. Kevin Castel found the lawyers acted in bad faith and ordered the fine and remedial measures to prevent future use of AI-generated citations.
The airline’s lawyers contacted Schwartz and LoDuca’s lawyers after discovering their use of ChatGPT for case citations. ChatGPT is an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI with various capabilities.
It’s important to note that ChatGPT is not suitable for generating case citations and should not be used as a legal research tool.
The judge, P. Kevin Castel, ruled that the lawyers had acted in bad faith and misled the court. They were fined $5,000 and instructed to prevent future use of ChatGPT or similar AI tools for generating false case citations.
This case emphasizes the significance of accuracy and due diligence in legal research. Lawyers should verify the information generated by AI tools before presenting it to the court.
The case also raises ethical concerns regarding the use of AI in the legal profession. Some believe AI can enhance research efficiency and accuracy, while others worry about the potential for false or misleading information.
Schwartz and LoDuca’s case serves as a reminder that AI tools should not replace human involvement in legal research. Lawyers remain responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the information they utilize, even when assisted by AI tools.
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