Federal Judges Admit Court Ruling Errors Due to Staff AI Misuse After Grassley Inquiry

Two federal judges have acknowledged that their staff misused artificial intelligence in preparing court orders, leading to significant errors. This revelation emerged in letters responding to inquiries from Senator Chuck Grassley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee and described the orders as “error-ridden.”

Judges Admit to AI Misuse

U.S. District Judge Julien Xavier Neals from New Jersey and U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate from Mississippi admitted to the failings in their respective chambers. Both judges revealed that the flawed rulings did not undergo the usual review processes before being published.

Details of the AI Usage

• Judge Neals: Stated that a draft decision issued on June 30 in a securities lawsuit was released due to human error. An intern had used OpenAI’s ChatGPT for legal research without authorization.
• Judge Wingate: Indicated that a law clerk employed Perplexity as a drafting assistant, resulting in a draft decision issued on July 20 that failed to adhere to proper oversight.

Both judges have since put measures in place to ensure that such oversights do not recur. Judge Neals emphasized that he has now formalized a ban on using generative AI for legal research and drafting.

Impact of the Grassley Inquiry

Senator Grassley initiated the inquiry following complaints from lawyers regarding factual inaccuracies in the judicial decisions. “Honesty is always the best policy,” he remarked, praising the judges for admitting their mistakes. He stressed the judiciary’s responsibility to maintain integrity and accuracy when using AI tools.

Ongoing Scrutiny of AI Usage in the Judiciary

The issue of AI misuse extends beyond these cases. Judges nationwide have begun monitoring the use of AI in court filings, leading to fines or sanctions imposed on lawyers for improper AI application.

The current circumstances underscore the urgent need for comprehensive policies regarding the use of generative AI in legal proceedings. According to Grassley, the judicial branch must prioritize creating definitive guidelines to balance efficiency with the fair treatment of litigants.