- A New York appeals court judge reprimanded a defendant for using an AI avatar to present his legal arguments without prior disclosure.
- Jerome Dewald, 74, claimed he used the Ai technology because he believed it would articulate his arguments more eloquently than he could personally.
- This incident highlights the growing challenges as Artificial Intelligence increasingly enters the legal profession.
A New York appeals judge recently shut down a defendant’s attempt to use an artificial intelligence avatar to present legal arguments during a court hearing. In late March, Jerome Dewald, a 74-year-old representing himself in an employment dispute, submitted an AI-generated video presentation to argue his case during a livestreamed hearing.
Justice Sallie Manzanet-Daniels halted the video within seconds of it starting, demanding to know if the digital figure was counsel for the case. When Dewald admitted, “I generated that… That is not a real person,” the judge expressed clear displeasure at the deception.
“I don’t appreciate being misled,” the judge stated, noting that Dewald had previously appeared and spoken before the court. She firmly ordered, “Shut that off,” while pointing at the video screen, and admonished him: “You are not going to use this courtroom as a launch for your business.”
Dewald later apologized for the incident, explaining to The Associated Press that he had applied for permission to play a prerecorded video but didn’t disclose it would feature an AI avatar. He admitted he originally attempted to create a digital replica of himself but encountered time constraints. “The court was really upset about it,” Dewald acknowledged, adding, “They chewed me up pretty good.”
AI’s Growing Presence in Legal Settings
This incident reflects the increasing challenges as artificial intelligence technologies enter the legal profession. In 2023, a New York lawyer faced severe criticism for citing fake cases generated by ChatGPT in a legal brief for a lawsuit against a Colombian airline.
Not all legal AI applications have faced rejection, however. In March, Arizona’s Supreme Court began using two AI-generated avatars, similar to Dewald’s, to summarize court rulings for public consumption.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has also taken notice of AI’s legal implications, taking action last September against companies allegedly misleading consumers with AI services, including a firm offering an AI lawyer.
As artificial intelligence tools continue developing, courts and legal institutions will likely establish clearer guidelines for their appropriate use in legal proceedings to balance technological innovation with courtroom integrity.
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