Judges fine Georgia lawyer for apparent use of AI in divorce case

ATLANTA - The Georgia Court of Appeal has fined an Atlanta lawyer after a judge ruled that she appeared to have used artificial intelligence in one of her clients' divorce cases.

The judges say that multiple cases attorney Diana Lynch cited in her motion were found not to exist.

What we know:

In the ruling obtained by FOX 5, Judge Jeff Watkins fined Lynch $2,500 in connection with an order in her client's divorce case.

According to the judge, half of the cases the order referred to appear to be "'hallucinations' made up by generative-artificial intelligence." The other two had nothing to do with the pro-proposition Lynch stated in her brief, Watkins said.

When the ex-wife of Lynch's client pointed out the non-existent cases, the judge said that Lynch cited nearly a dozen references that also did not exist or were irreverent to the proposition. The attorney then allegedly requested fees connected with the appeal.

What they're saying:

Jackson wrote that he and the other judges were "troubled" by the bogus cases cited in the trial court's order. 

"Lynch’s use of fictitious cases and citations has deprived the opposing party of the opportunity to appropriately respond to her arguments," the judge wrote.

The judges also cited a warning by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts about the use of AI by lawyers in his 2023 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary. In that report, Roberts specifically warns against "hallucinations" that may cause attorneys to cite non-existent cases.

What's next:

The fine imposed on Lynch is the maximum penalty the law allows.

The judges also vacated the previous court order and sent the case back to a lower court to reconsider. 

The Source: Information for this story came from a ruling by the Georgia Court of Appeals.