UK Court Tells Lawyers To Stop Misuse Of AI After Fake Case-Law Citations

London's High Court warned on Friday that the use of artificial intelligence by lawyers to cite non-existent cases could result in severe penalties, including contempt of court or criminal prosecution. The warning came reportedly after a series of cases cited made-up quotes and rulings that did not exist.

According to the country's top judges, current directives given to lawyers have proven "insufficient to address the misuse of artificial intelligence," reported The New York Times. Dame Victoria Sharp, the president of the King’s Bench Division, called on the Bar Council and the Law Society to consider steps to curb the problem “as a matter of urgency”. A claimant and their lawyer recently admitted that AI tools produced "inaccurate and fictitious" lawsuit material against two banks, which was dismissed last month. "There are serious implications for the administration of justice and public confidence in the justice system if artificial intelligence is misused," said the judge in a ruling.