SAN FRANCISCO—A California attorney was sanctioned $1,000 for three nonexistent cases referred to in a court filing that indicated possible use of artificial intelligence (AI) that hallucinated, an issue increasingly seen in courts.
“The Court does not prohibit or oppose the use of artificial intelligence in legal advocacy, so long as counsel independently verifies the accuracy of AI-generated content.” U.S. magistrate judge Thomas S. Hixson wrote in the order on May 6.
The sanctioned attorney, Jessica R. Barsotti, represents the plaintiff, Karl Gregoire, in a case against Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) for firing a fare inspection officer who, during the pandemic, rejected the mandated COVID-19 vaccine on religious grounds. …