Posted on 09/15/2026 8:08:53 PM PDT by xxqqzz
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A prominent New Mexico attorney is in the hot seat after using AI to write a legal brief that made it into the court record, filled with errors.
An appeal in a murder case with made-up witnesses and testimony. That’s why attorney Stephen Aarons is facing harsh scrutiny, admitting to the New Mexico Supreme Court that he “assumed” ChatGPT would generate a “bulletproof summary of proceedings”. “It’s of little comfort to know that my stupidity is what brings us together this afternoon,” said Aarons, as he started his arguments before the New Mexico Supreme Court.
In a frank admission to justices, Aarons said he made a mistake, “I didn’t check the transcript against the summary of proceedings; that’s where my error was.”
While using AI to write a legal brief for his client, Aarons said ChatGPT generated a version filled with false testimony from fabricated witnesses. The long-time New Mexico attorney then submitted that appeal to the court in a Las Cruces man’s murder case.
“It’s the duty of the lawyer to confirm the facts of the law,” said Justice David K. Thomson, New Mexico Supreme Court.
In their first case dealing with this type of issue, New Mexico Supreme Court Justices tore up any arguments Aarons made on his behalf during a recent hearing.
“Do you watch the news? Do you listen to the radio? Do you read anything about what’s going on in the world? Because the problem with lawyers relying on AI and hallucinations is an above-the-fold story. Every single day,” said Justice C. Shannon Bacon, New Mexico Supreme Court.
(Excerpt) Read more at krqe.com ...
Artificial Intelligence is artificial, but it ain’t intelligence. It merely mimics intelligence.
ping to you
That is beyond inexcusable. I know some lawyers use AI to summarize depositions, etc., but that is just for their own use and isn’t filed with the Court. To file a brief drafted by AI...holy hell is that bad.
I have been admitted to practice in DC for almost 47 years, and have worked in a law office for 49 years. When I started, I had to do my own research in an actual law library using books like West’s Decennial Digests and Shepard’s to find cases. When I wrote something, I used an IBM Correcting Selectric typewriter. When I made a typo, I had to use “Wite-out” to paint over the typo and then type the correct word I had intended.
I moved on to a klunky, expensive Lanier No Problem word processing system by 1983, and, finally, by 1993, to a PC. Shortly thereafter I started subscribing to Westlaw (an on-line law library) which really made my life easier. Yet, I wrote all my own petitions, pleadings and briefs. I can’t imagine turning my writing over to AI.
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