Fake Citations, Real Consequences: When AI Misleads the Court

Lawyers in Wyoming have found themselves in hot water after court filings included references to eight legal cases that do not exist. The incident came to light during proceedings in a lawsuit involving Walmart and Jetson Electronic Bikes, Inc. Court documents in the case contained case citations that could not be verified in any legal database. District Judge Kelly Rankin issued a court order demanding an explanation for the discrepancies and warning of possible sanctions. The development has raised fresh questions about the reliability of artificial intelligence in legal research.