Artificial Intelligence & Robotics
2 federal judges reveal AI use by staff members led to error-riddled opinions
U.S. District Judge Julien Xavier Neals of the District of New Jersey and District Judge Henry T. Wingate of the Southern District of Mississippi. (Photos by Tom Williams/Pool/AFP via Getty Images and Rogelio V. Solis/The Associated Press)
Two federal judges who released opinions that included fake information explained in letters released Thursday that the problems stemmed from staff members’ use of artificial intelligence.
The judges responded to questions by U.S. Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican, in letters here and here, report Reuters and Bloomberg Law.
U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate of the Southern District of Mississippi and District Judge Julien Xavier Neals of the District of New Jersey withdrew the opinions after litigants pointed out the errors.
Wingate’s letter said a law clerk used a generative artificial intelligence tool know as Perplexity to synthesize information on the docket. The opinion posted on the docket was an early draft that had not gone through the standard review process, which involves several lawyers of review.
“It was a draft that should have never been docketed,” Wingate wrote. “This was a mistake. I have taken steps in my chambers to ensure this mistake will not happen again.”
Neals’ letter said a law school intern used ChatGPT to perform legal research.
“In doing so, the intern acted without authorization, without disclosure, and contrary to not only chambers policy but also the relevant law school policy,” he wrote.
The standard practice in his chambers, Neals said, is for draft opinions to go through several layers of review. In this instance, however, the opinion was an early draft that never should have been docketed.
Both judges said they included docket notices for transparency indicating that the inaccurate opinion had been removed.
Wingate’s July 20 opinion, a temporary restraining order, referred to nonexistent allegations, parties and declarations. Neals’ June 30 opinion denying a motion to dismiss misstated case outcomes and used fake quotes attributed to opinions and the defendants.
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