Imagine losing a court case and facing eviction and a hefty fine. But then you ask artificial intelligence for advice and ultimately turn the entire case in your favor. That is exactly what Lynn White from California managed to do, using ChatGPT and other AI tools not only to avoid eviction but also thousands of dollars in fines.
Artificial intelligence instead of a lawyer
Lynn White found herself in court over late rent payments for her mobile home. She lost the initial hearing and faced not only eviction, but also a hefty fine. However, because she disagreed with the court’s verdict, she decided to appeal. This time, though, instead of seeking help from an attorney affiliated with a tenants’ rights network, she had artificial intelligence represent her.
The woman gathered all the documents related to her case and used the ChatGPT and Perplexity chatbots to look for errors in the court’s procedural ruling. According to an interview Lynn White gave to NBC News, ChatGPT did indeed uncover procedural errors in the proceedings and explained what steps she could take, which applicable laws she could use in her defense, and even drafted responses for the appeals court. And although it may sound unbelievable, Lynn White actually won. Moreover, hers is not the only such case.
Another person who achieved success in court using a “digital lawyer” was Staci Dennet from New Mexico. She used ChatGPT after being summoned over her unpaid business debt. To make sure she could hold her own in court, she asked the chatbot to act like a Harvard law professor and keep tearing down her arguments until they were completely airtight. It ultimately worked, and Dennet managed to secure a favorable out-of-court settlement.
AI as a useful assistant
Artificial intelligence can indeed be a useful assistant, and according to The Independent, some jurisdictions are officially adopting it. The Alaska Court System, for example, is developing its own AI assistant, the Alaska Virtual Assistant, which is intended to help people navigate probate proceedings. The American nonprofit organization Public Counsel, meanwhile, trains people without a legal education in how to use AI to prepare documents, find applicable regulations, or formulate arguments.
In short, artificial intelligence has the potential to help people with legal matters who cannot afford an attorney. However, other cases show that it still makes serious mistakes. According to experts, people should certainly not rely on AI without careful review and human oversight. 
When AI fails
Although the cases of Lynn White and Staci Dennet were successful, legal practice has already seen a whole host of negative examples of AI use. While artificial intelligence is often highly persuasive, its legal arguments are frequently fabricated or supported by nonexistent precedents.
One such case is the trial of Jack Owoc, an energy drink mogul who also prepared for court with the help of AI. According to NBC News, however, he cited nonexistent precedents in no fewer than 11 instances. Owoc not only failed to win the case but was also sentenced to community service.
Lawyers are also getting into trouble. Several cases have already been recorded in which they were penalized for citing fabricated cases generated by artificial intelligence. One such case occurred in California this year, and the lawyer who attached a document containing fabricated precedents to an appeal received a fine of 10,000 dollars for his actions.
Lawyers were also fined for similarly submitting fake AI-generated cases in a lawsuit against Walmart. Likewise, an Australian lawyer lost his license after inserting fake citations from nonexistent sources into court documents. Nonsensical or nonexistent legal citations are therefore becoming a problem not only among laypeople but also among professional attorneys. And many experts see this as a major danger.
Does artificial intelligence belong in law or not?
Artificial intelligence has an ever-growing body of knowledge, is becoming increasingly accurate, and the number of people using it for legal matters continues to grow. However, all AI tools still make major errors that can lead to incorrect conclusions. The stories of Lynn White and Staci Dennet are therefore the exception rather than the rule. Nevertheless, they show that AI can already enter fields that until recently were the domain of experts.
