Michael Cohen Unknowingly Submits AI-Generated Fake Legal Citations in Motion
Michael Cohen, former lawyer for Donald Trump, inadvertently submitted fake AI-generated legal case citations to a New York judge, which he obtained through Google Bard, mistaking it for a reliable search engine. The false citations were part of a motion to end Cohen's court supervision early, after his conviction on charges including tax evasion and campaign finance violations. Cohen's current attorney, David M. Schwartz, did not verify the citations before submission, leading to an investigation by the court. This incident marks the second time this year that Manhattan federal court has dealt with fake legal citations from AI, highlighting the risks of emerging legal technologies.