ChatGPT is one of the most popular and powerful AI chatbots in the market, but it can also be a source of trouble for those who rely on it blindly. That’s what happened to a lawyer who used ChatGPT to help him with a legal filing and ended up citing nonexistent cases that the chatbot made up.
The lawyer, Steven Schwartz of Levidow, Levidow & Oberman, was representing a client named Roberto Mata who sued Avianca Airlines for injuries he sustained from a serving cart during a flight. Avianca tried to get the case dismissed, and Schwartz objected with a brief that included several cases as precedents. The problem was, those cases were all fake and generated by ChatGPT.
According to Mashable, Schwartz said he used OpenAI’s chatbot to “supplement” his own findings and was “unaware of the possibility that its content could be false.” He even asked ChatGPT to confirm the authenticity of the cases, and the chatbot assured him they were real and could be found in “reputable legal databases.”
However, the judge and Avianca’s lawyers soon realized they could not locate any of those cases and questioned Schwartz’s research. Schwartz had to explain what happened in an affidavit and provide screenshots of his interactions with ChatGPT. He also apologized for using the chatbot and said he would never do so again without verifying its sources.
The judge ordered a hearing next month to “discuss potential sanctions” for Schwartz for this “unprecedented circumstance.” CNN reported that Schwartz is also facing sanctions for using a false and fraudulent notarization in an affidavit filed earlier.
This incident shows the dangers of using ChatGPT or any other AI chatbot without proper caution and verification. ChatGPT is a language model trained to follow instructions and provide responses to prompts, but it does not guarantee factual accuracy or reliability. It can generate false or misleading content based on its training data or its own creativity.
As MSN noted, ChatGPT could give users exactly what they are looking for, even if it’s not factual. For example, if a user asks ChatGPT for information that supports their argument or opinion, the chatbot could create such information out of thin air, without any regard for reality or ethics.
Therefore, users should always check the sources and references of ChatGPT’s content and not take it at face value. They should also be aware of the limitations and risks of using ChatGPT for sensitive or professional purposes, such as legal research, journalism, education, or health care.
ChatGPT is an amazing tool that can offer many benefits and possibilities for users, but it also requires responsibility and critical thinking from them. As one Twitter user commented on this case: “ChatGPT is not your friend. It’s not your enemy either. It’s just an algorithm.”
Relevant articles:
– A lawyer used ChatGPT for a legal filing. The chatbot cited nonexistent cases it just made up, Mashable, May 27, 2023
– Lawyer apologizes for fake court citations from ChatGPT, CNN, May 27, 2023
– A lawyer used ChatGPT and now has to answer for its ‘bogus’ citations, MSN, May 27, 2023
– Lawyer faces punishment after ChatGPT gave him fake cases to cite on a court-submitted brief, PhoneArena, May 28, 2023