Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

US lawyer apologises for creating fake cases using ChatGPT

At present, there has been no immediate response from OpenAI, the organisation behind ChatGPT, regarding Schwartz’s unfortunate incident

US lawyer apologises for creating fake cases using ChatGPT

A US lawyer's decision to employ ChatGPT, an advanced language model, for the preparation of a crucial court filing has led to an astonishing turn of events.

The artificial intelligence programme generated fabricated cases and rulings, causing immense embarrassment to the attorney involved.


Steven Schwartz, a lawyer based in New York, issued an apology to a judge this week after realising that the brief he had submitted contained false information generated by the OpenAI chatbot.

"I simply had no idea that ChatGPT was capable of fabricating entire case citations or judicial opinions, especially in a manner that appeared authentic," Schwartz wrote in a court filing.

The incident took place during the proceedings of a civil case at the Manhattan federal court, where Roberto Mata is suing the Colombian airline Avianca.

Mata alleges that he sustained an injury when a metal serving plate struck his leg during a flight from El Salvador to New York in August 2019.

After the airline's lawyers asked the court to dismiss the case, Schwartz filed a response that claimed to cite more than half a dozen decisions to support why the litigation should proceed.

They included Petersen v. Iran Air, Varghese v. China Southern Airlines and Shaboon v. Egyptair.

The Varghese case even included dated internal citations and quotes.

However, there was one major problem: neither Avianca's attorneys nor the presiding judge, P. Kevin Castel could find the cases.

Schwartz was compelled to acknowledge that ChatGPT had fabricated all the information provided in the response.

"The court is presented with an unprecedented circumstance," judge Castel wrote last month.

"Six of the submitted cases appear to be bogus judicial decisions with bogus quotes and bogus internal citations," he added.

In response to the situation, the judge issued an order summoning Schwartz and his law partner to appear before the court, to face possible sanctions.

In a filing submitted on Tuesday (06) prior to the hearing, Schwartz expressed his sincere apologies to the court, acknowledging his profound regret for the significant error he had made.

He explained that his introduction to ChatGPT came from his college-educated children, and this incident marked the first occasion he had utilised the tool in his professional capacity.

"At the time that I performed the legal research in this case, I believed that ChatGPT was a reliable search engine. I now know that was incorrect," he wrote.

Schwartz added that it "was never my intention to mislead the court."

Since its launch in late last year, ChatGPT has gained worldwide attention for its remarkable capability to generate human-like content, ranging from essays and poems to engaging conversations based on minimal prompts.

At present, there has been no immediate response from OpenAI, the organisation behind ChatGPT, regarding Schwartz's unfortunate incident.

The story initially surfaced in The New York Times.

Schwartz, along with his firm, Levidow, Levidow & Oberman, expressed their distress over the media coverage, highlighting the sense of being subjected to public ridicule.

In a statement, Schwartz acknowledged the profound embarrassment caused on both personal and professional fronts, recognising that the articles regarding the incident would remain accessible for years to come.

He further assured the court that the situation had served as a valuable lesson, vowing to never repeat such an error in the future.

(AFP)

More For You

Police arrest five after anti-asylum protesters target Heathrow hotel

Anti-migrant protesters demonstrate outside the Cladhan Hotel on August 30, 2025 in Falkirk, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Police arrest five after anti-asylum protesters target Heathrow hotel

BRITISH police said they arrested five people on Saturday (30) after masked men tried to force their way into a hotel used by asylum-seekers, a day after the government won a court ruling on the use of another hotel to house migrants.

Two groups of anti-asylum protesters marched to the Crowne Plaza Hotel near Heathrow Airport before some demonstrators tried to break in, London's Metropolitan Police force said.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi backs peaceful Ukraine settlement in call with Zelenskyy

Volodymyr Zelenskiy (L) and Narendra Modi

Modi backs peaceful Ukraine settlement in call with Zelenskyy

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed his support for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine during a telephone conversation with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Modi's office said.

Zelenskiy, speaking in his nightly video address on Saturday (30), said Modi supported Ukraine's call for a ceasefire in the war with Russia and hoped that notion would be heard at the forthcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in China.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi says "peace and stability" achieved on China border in Xi meeting

India's prime minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Chinese president Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China, August 31, 2025. India's Press Information Bureau/Handout via REUTERS

Modi says "peace and stability" achieved on China border in Xi meeting

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi said New Delhi was committed to improving ties with Beijing in a key meeting with China's president Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a regional security forum on Sunday (31).

Modi is in China for the first time in seven years to attend a two-day meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, along with Russian president Vladimir Putin and other leaders from Central, South and Southeast Asia and the Middle East in a show of Global South solidarity.

Keep ReadingShow less
wasim bashir

Bashir retired from the force while under investigation but will still face misconduct proceedings. (Photo credit: West Yorkshire Police)

West Yorkshire Police

Former West Yorkshire Police officer jailed for misconduct

A FORMER West Yorkshire Police officer has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison after being convicted of misconduct in a public office.

Wasim Bashir, 55, who worked as a detective constable in Bradford District, was found guilty of one count of misconduct in a public office for forming a sexual relationship with a female victim of crime. He was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday, 29 August.

Keep ReadingShow less
Epping protests

Protesters calling for the closure of The Bell Hotel, which was housing asylum seekers, gather outside the council offices in Epping on August 8, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Over a dozen councils plan legal action despite Home Office court win

Highlights:

  • Court of Appeal has overturned injunction blocking use of Epping hotel for asylum seekers.
  • Judges say human rights obligations outweigh local safety concerns.
  • At least 13 councils preparing legal action despite ruling.
  • Protests outside the Bell Hotel lead to arrests and police injuries.

MORE than a dozen councils are moving ahead with legal challenges against the use of hotels for asylum seekers despite the Home Office winning an appeal in the Court of Appeal.

Keep ReadingShow less