Attorneys fined for fake ChatGPT citations

 

A judge on Thursday fined two Manhattan attorneys $5,000 for filing a legal brief that included fabricated court cases and citations generated by ChatGPT.  The fine was imposed upon Steven Schwartz, the lawyer who used ChatGPT, along with coworker Peter LoDuca and their law firm, Levidow, Levidow & Oberman. New York District Judge P. Kevin Castel sanctioned the lawyers for neglecting their responsibilities and sticking with the false cases. Castel still akcnolwedged that using reliable AI tools for assistance is not "inherently improper." The attorneys were instructed to inform the implicated judges about the situation involving the fake cases. Levidow, Levidow & Oberman told Forbes they would comply with the court's order but respectfully disagreed with the accusation of acting in bad faith. Schwartz admitted in May to using ChatGPT for research in a client's personal injury case and said he unintentionally included false citations. The incident further raises concerns about overreliance on AI, especially in the legal and tech communities.