The defendant’s legal team flagged several issues with the plaintiff’s brief, including citations to cases that do not exist and quotes that cannot be found in any legal databases.
These inaccuracies are suspected to have originated from the unchecked use of AI, likely through software such as ChatGPT.
One particularly egregious error involved a citation that purported to quote language from Graves v. Lioi, a case that is nonexistent in the actual Fourth Circuit opinion.
As a result, Judge Cullen has ordered the plaintiff’s attorneys to explain by August 14 why they should not be sanctioned or referred to their respective state bars for professional misconduct.
The judge expressed his frustration with the plaintiff’s attorneys for not responding to the allegations, calling their silence “deafening.”
AI Abuse in Legal Work
This case has raised serious questions about the integrity of the legal system and the potential for AI abuse during the drafting process.
Judge Cullen emphasized that while using AI for legal work is not inherently wrong, attorneys who choose to utilize such technology must ensure the accuracy of every citation and quote they include in their filings.
