New York Lawyer Uses ChatGPT to Create Legal Brief, Cites 6 'Bogus' Cases: 'The Court Is Presented With an Unprecedented Circumstance' The lawyer, who has 30 years of experience, said it was the first time he used the tool for "research" and was "unaware of the possibility that its content could be false."
By Madeline Garfinkle •
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As prompt-driven chatbots, such as ChatGPT, become mainstream tools used to save time on tasks in the U.S. workplace, there's been concern over whether artificial intelligence will eventually replace human jobs.
But while the controversy surrounding which jobs will be eliminated continues, one thing is for sure — in some industries, the chatbot is less of a time-saver and more of a liability.
Steven A. Schwartz, a New York-based lawyer with over 30 years of experience, was ordered by the Southern District of New York to explain what the judge has called an "unprecedented case," the New York Times first reported, or face possible sanctions for his actions.
According to the court order, six cases Schwartz cited in a legal brief were "bogus."
Related: ChatGPT Could Cost You a Job Before You Even Have It, According to a New Report — Here's How
"Six of the submitted cases appear to be bogus judicial decisions with bogus quotes and bogus internal citations," Judge P. Kevin Castel wrote in the court order.
In an affidavit filed last week in response to the order, Schwartz admitted to using ChatGPT to do legal research despite never having used it prior to this instance and that he was "unaware of the possibility that its content could be false."
Schwartz added that he "greatly regrets" using artificial intelligence to "supplement" his legal research.
A hearing is set for June 8 for Schwartz to further explain himself.
