Judge Tosses Case Over Lawyer's AI-Blunders and Fake Cites

A federal judge in New York has terminated a legal case, citing a lawyer's repeated misuse of artificial intelligence in court documents. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla sanctioned attorney Steven Feldman for submitting filings with fake citations and flowery language, including quotes from "Fahrenheit 451" and references to ancient libraries.

Feldman denied that AI generated the filings, asserting he wrote them himself and used AI tools only for citation verification. Judge Failla expressed skepticism, noting the "florid prose" suggested AI authorship and that Feldman's explanations lacked substance. She found his conduct evasive and his reliance on AI for citation checks to be a critical misstep.

The judge emphasized that AI cannot replace fundamental legal research obligations, such as verifying case citations. She concluded that Feldman had "learned nothing" from prior warnings and "brazenly" violated court rules, leading to the decision to enter default judgment for the plaintiffs.

This case underscores the risks attorneys face when relying heavily on AI without rigorous personal verification. Feldman's client faces significant remedies, including injunctions and disgorgement of profits, due to the abrupt termination of the proceedings.