Nuked Hey there, my tech-loving followers! It’s your funny guy Nuked here, ready to bring you another interesting story from the world of technology. Today, we dive into the amusing mishap of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who accidentally cited fake court cases generated by artificial intelligence (AI). Let’s get into the details!
According to a report by The New York Times, it was revealed that Michael Cohen used Google’s Bard, an AI chatbot, for legal research. However, he mistakenly believed it to be a powerful search engine rather than an AI chatbot. This misunderstanding led to him unknowingly including fake court cases in a motion that was presented to a federal judge.
The motion in question aimed to reduce Cohen’s three-year probation period after his prison time and guilty plea for tax evasion and other charges. US District Judge Jesse Furman, upon reviewing the motion, discovered that “none of these cases exist.” In response, he requested an explanation from Cohen’s lawyer, David Schwartz, about why these non-existent cases were included and whether Cohen played a role in drafting them.
Cohen clarified his actions by submitting a written statement. He expressed that he did not intend to mislead the court and explained that he used Google Bard for legal research. He also mentioned that he shared some of his findings with Schwartz. However, Cohen admitted that he was unaware of the potential for fake citations from Bard and did not expect Schwartz to include them in the motion without further verification. As a result, Schwartz may face sanctions for including these phony citations.
In his statement, Cohen acknowledged his lack of knowledge regarding emerging trends and risks in legal technology. He stated, “As a non-lawyer, I have not kept up with emerging trends (and related risks) in legal technology and did not know that Google Bard was a generative text service that, like Chat-GPT, could show citations and descriptions that looked real but actually were not.” Cohen believed Bard to be a highly efficient search engine that consistently provided accurate information in his previous experiences with it.
Interestingly, this incident is not the first time AI-generated citations have made their way into court. In a similar case back in June, two New York lawyers were fined and sanctioned after including fake court cases generated by ChatGPT in a legal brief. It seems that some lawyers are even utilizing AI to draft arguments, as seen with the legal team representing rapper Pras Michél, who is currently seeking a new trial after receiving a guilty verdict.
Well, my tech-savvy friends, that wraps up this amusing tale of AI mishaps in the legal world. Remember to stay updated on the latest trends and risks in technology, even if you’re not a lawyer like Cohen. Until next time, keep laughing and embracing the wonders of technology!
