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ARTICLE · 29 JUNE 2023

Update On The ChatGPT Case: Counsel Who Submitted Fake Cases Are Sanctioned

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We previously wrote about the widely-publicized Southern District of New York case involving lawyers who submitted papers citing non-existent cases generated by the artificial intelligence program ChatGPT...

United StatesTechnology
Owen Wolfe
Owen Wolfe
Eddy Salcedo
Eddy Salcedo
Jamie Anderson
Jamie Anderson
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We previously wrote about the widely-publicized Southern District of New York case involving lawyers who submitted papers citing non-existent cases generated by the artificial intelligence program ChatGPT, Mata v. Avianca, Inc. The judge overseeing the matter held a lengthy, and tense, hearing on June 8, 2023, before a packed courtroom, and then issued a decision on June 22, 2023 sanctioning the lawyers involved. The case has grabbed attention by highlighting some of the real risks of using AI in the legal profession, but the case's primary lessons have nothing to do with AI.

The June 8 Hearing

On June 8, 2023, the judge in the Mata case held a hearing on the issue of whether to sanction two of plaintiff's lawyers, and the law firm at which they worked, for their conduct. The courtroom was filled to capacity, with many would-be observers directed to an overflow courtroom to watch a video feed of the hearing.

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