Lawyer fined $5K over AI-hallucinated witnesses in a murder case
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A justice asked, ‘Counsel, do you watch the news?’ when a lawyer admitted to relying on ChatGPT without understanding the risks.
Key facts
- New Mexico’s Supreme Court is punishing a lawyer for including AI-fabricated witnesses and fake police testimony in an appeal for his client’s murder conviction, according to a report from Reuters
- Do you read anything about what’s going on in the world?” Justice Bacon said
- Shannon Bacon questioned how Aarons wasn’t aware of the risks posed by AI during an August hearing, where he admitted to using ChatGPT and thinking it would generate a “bulletproof summary
- Because the problem with lawyers relying on AI hallucinations is an above-the-fold story every single day
Summary
New Mexico’s Supreme Court is punishing a lawyer for including AI-fabricated witnesses and fake police testimony in an appeal for his client’s murder conviction, according to a report from Reuters. The filing says the brief “contained false testimony from wholly fabricated witnesses,” along with “false testimony” about the shooter’s clothing and appearance. Do you read anything about what’s going on in the world?” Justice Bacon said, . With the number of lawyers using AI tools in their work increasing, so are the instances in which a court discovers citations that are fabricated, or hallucinated, by AI. ”the reporter is remorseful but hopeful that the disciplinary board takes into account it was an honest mistake,” Aarons says .