Lawyer loses job as he uses ChatGPT to reduce burden ; AI tool generates fake cases

By: Pune Pulse

November 23, 2023

A lawyer, young professional grappling with work pressures and impending deadlines, sought solace in ChatGPT to alleviate the burden. As per reports, the AI tool inadvertently fabricated certain fictitious situations, leading to the lawyer’s dismissal from the esteemed law firm.

As per the information provided, Zachariah Crabill, a 29-year-old lawyer who was formerly employed at Baker Law Group, was terminated from his position this summer for utilizing OpenAI’s ChatGPT during working hours. Crabill verified this information when speaking to Insider.

As per the information received, Crabill’s superiors at the workplace, sensing his stress due to looming deadlines and office conflicts, assigned him additional responsibilities in the month of May. In an attempt to manage the workload, he resorted to ChatGPT, a tool he had previously utilized for dependable research. His intention was to enhance a legal motion by incorporating precise details from Colorado case law.

After ChatGPT drafted the motion, Crabill submitted it to his boss and then filed it with the Colorado court. However, he missed a crucial step of verifying the AI’s work. His delight transformed into dread when he discovered that ChatGPT had fabricated false references to legal cases in the document.

Crabill, distressed and incapable of finding these alleged cases in legal databases, came to the realization that the inaccuracies originated from ChatGPT producing deceptively persuasive yet entirely untrue information.

The individual confessed to the judge that they utilized an AI chatbot to enhance the document, which resulted in the judge notifying higher authorities. As a result, the individual was terminated from their job.

Crabill, despite facing unemployment, maintains his unwavering faith in the capacity of AI to enhance the effectiveness of legal professionals. In fact, he has taken the initiative to establish his own company that leverages AI for legal services. He draws a parallel between his utilization of ChatGPT and the commonplace use of Google in professional settings.

There have been other cases where the use of AI by lawyers has resulted in problems, not just Crabill’s. A law firm in New York was fined $5,000 in June because one of its lawyers used ChatGPT to create a court brief that referenced cases and opinions that did not actually exist.