Lawyer Fined Due to AI-Generated Fake Witnesses
The New Mexico Supreme Court fined a lawyer who included imaginary witnesses and false police statements in an appeal brief generated with ChatGPT.
The New Mexico Supreme Court found attorney Stephen Aarons guilty of contempt of court and fined him $5,000 for using AI-fabricated witnesses and fake police statements in the appeal of a murder case.
AI-Generated Fake Petition
The New Mexico Supreme Court detected an artificial intelligence error in an appeal filed for a client's murder conviction. Attorney Stephen Aarons was penalized for failing to verify the factual claims and legal grounds contained in the brief he prepared using ChatGPT.
According to court records, the prepared document included false testimony from entirely fabricated individuals, as well as inaccurate, invented statements regarding the attacker's clothing and appearance.
Court Proceedings and Statement of Remorse
During a hearing held in August, Justice C. Shannon Bacon asked attorney Aarons how it was possible that he was unaware of the risks posed by artificial intelligence. Aarons admitted during the hearing that he used ChatGPT and thought the tool would provide a flawless summary of the proceeding.
Following the developments, Stephen Aarons expressed remorse while stating he hoped the disciplinary board would view the situation as an honest mistake.