The legal fraternity constantly weights the dangers of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for legal research, against its benefits.
Despite this, AI software like ChatGPT, Claude and others, has, over the past two years, gotten lawyers across the world into embarrassing situations. Most have, until yesterday gotten off very lightly, more often with a slap on the hand. Like it or not, most countries are adopting AI and lawyers will too.
Embarrassment changed to serious trouble yesterday, for three lawyers in South Africa, who received a scathing judgment and punitive costs order against them in their personal capacities. They seem to have, between them, produced, used and defended fictitious past court decisions in a court case being heard in South Africa’s High Court. There are likely to be serious consequences for them.
Listen to Lucien Pierce discuss the issues with John Maytham earlier today in this Cape Talk radio interview.
