Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

US lawyer apologises for creating fake cases using ChatGPT

At present, there has been no immediate response from OpenAI, the organisation behind ChatGPT, regarding Schwartz’s unfortunate incident

US lawyer apologises for creating fake cases using ChatGPT

A US lawyer's decision to employ ChatGPT, an advanced language model, for the preparation of a crucial court filing has led to an astonishing turn of events.

The artificial intelligence programme generated fabricated cases and rulings, causing immense embarrassment to the attorney involved.


Steven Schwartz, a lawyer based in New York, issued an apology to a judge this week after realising that the brief he had submitted contained false information generated by the OpenAI chatbot.

"I simply had no idea that ChatGPT was capable of fabricating entire case citations or judicial opinions, especially in a manner that appeared authentic," Schwartz wrote in a court filing.

The incident took place during the proceedings of a civil case at the Manhattan federal court, where Roberto Mata is suing the Colombian airline Avianca.

Mata alleges that he sustained an injury when a metal serving plate struck his leg during a flight from El Salvador to New York in August 2019.

After the airline's lawyers asked the court to dismiss the case, Schwartz filed a response that claimed to cite more than half a dozen decisions to support why the litigation should proceed.

They included Petersen v. Iran Air, Varghese v. China Southern Airlines and Shaboon v. Egyptair.

The Varghese case even included dated internal citations and quotes.

However, there was one major problem: neither Avianca's attorneys nor the presiding judge, P. Kevin Castel could find the cases.

Schwartz was compelled to acknowledge that ChatGPT had fabricated all the information provided in the response.

"The court is presented with an unprecedented circumstance," judge Castel wrote last month.

"Six of the submitted cases appear to be bogus judicial decisions with bogus quotes and bogus internal citations," he added.

In response to the situation, the judge issued an order summoning Schwartz and his law partner to appear before the court, to face possible sanctions.

In a filing submitted on Tuesday (06) prior to the hearing, Schwartz expressed his sincere apologies to the court, acknowledging his profound regret for the significant error he had made.

He explained that his introduction to ChatGPT came from his college-educated children, and this incident marked the first occasion he had utilised the tool in his professional capacity.

"At the time that I performed the legal research in this case, I believed that ChatGPT was a reliable search engine. I now know that was incorrect," he wrote.

Schwartz added that it "was never my intention to mislead the court."

Since its launch in late last year, ChatGPT has gained worldwide attention for its remarkable capability to generate human-like content, ranging from essays and poems to engaging conversations based on minimal prompts.

At present, there has been no immediate response from OpenAI, the organisation behind ChatGPT, regarding Schwartz's unfortunate incident.

The story initially surfaced in The New York Times.

Schwartz, along with his firm, Levidow, Levidow & Oberman, expressed their distress over the media coverage, highlighting the sense of being subjected to public ridicule.

In a statement, Schwartz acknowledged the profound embarrassment caused on both personal and professional fronts, recognising that the articles regarding the incident would remain accessible for years to come.

He further assured the court that the situation had served as a valuable lesson, vowing to never repeat such an error in the future.

(AFP)

More For You

 Survey Reveals More Britons Reducing Everyday Spending

About 43 per cent of consumers said they were cutting back on everyday purchases, while more than a third reported increasing their savings as a precaution. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Survey shows more Britons cutting back on everyday expenses

CONSUMERS in the UK are reducing spending on everyday items as confidence in the economy declines ahead of chancellor Rachel Reeves’s spring statement, according to a KPMG survey.

The survey, conducted among 3,000 UK consumers, found that 58 per cent believed the economy was worsening in the three months to February, up 15 percentage points from the previous quarter, The Guardian reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
 Hamdan Ballal

Palestinian Oscar-winning director Hamdan Ballal, co-creator of No Other Land, was reportedly assaulted by Israeli settlers before being detained by military forces in the West Bank

Getty Images

Oscar-winning filmmaker Hamdan Ballal beaten and detained in West Bank

Hamdan Ballal, Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, was assaulted by Israeli settlers and later taken into military custody in the occupied West Bank, witnesses say.

The attack took place Monday evening in the village of Susya, where armed settlers targeted Palestinian residents and international activists. According to the Centre for Jewish Nonviolence, Ballal suffered head injuries during the assault. While receiving treatment in an ambulance, Israeli soldiers reportedly pulled him out and arrested him, along with another Palestinian. His current whereabouts remain unknown.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK houses

Construction is scheduled to begin in March 2027 and be completed by 2029, the government said.

image: Getty

Government to invest £2 billion in 18,000 affordable homes by 2029

THE UK government on Tuesday announced a £2 billion investment to build up to 18,000 social and affordable homes in England.

The initiative is part of its broader target to deliver 1.5 million homes by the end of the current parliament and support economic growth.

Keep ReadingShow less
Cambridge Librarian Claims Race Bias After India Leave Denial

In 2021, Trinity College offered her a permanent desk supervisor contract, which included the option to take a three-month break during the summer.

trinity-college

Cambridge librarian alleges race bias after India leave was denied

A UNIVERSITY of Cambridge librarian’s race discrimination claim was dismissed after a tribunal found the university had acted “flexibly” in handling her leave requests.

Havovi Anklesaria, who has worked at Trinity College for 30 years, requested three months off at the beginning of the year instead of the summer.

Keep ReadingShow less
British-Ghanaian artist seeks euthanasia, sparks global debate on mental health and right to die

Joseph Awuah-Darko also highlighted the pressures faced by young people in today’s society

Instagram/ okuntakinte

British-Ghanaian artist seeks euthanasia, sparks global debate on mental health and right to die

British-Ghanaian artist Joseph Awuah-Darko, 28, has made the difficult decision to pursue euthanasia due to the unbearable toll of living with bipolar disorder. Having battled mental health challenges for decades, Awuah-Darko has chosen to move to the Netherlands, where euthanasia is legal, and is now awaiting approval for the procedure – a process that could take up to four years.

Awuah-Darko, known for his thought-provoking artwork and social activism, has used social media to share his mental health journey and the difficult decision he made after years of careful consideration. His story has sparked a global conversation about mental health, euthanasia, and the right to die with dignity.

Keep ReadingShow less