Couple used artificial intelligence to win a court case – but it backfired

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly spreading and becoming an everyday tool for many people to find important information. However, people often trust it too much and do not check the accuracy of the information they receive. This was painfully discovered by a Canadian couple trying to win a housing dispute.

He sought a solution that was favorable to him.

Robert and Michelle Geismayr from British Columbia applied to the Civil Disputes Resolution Tribunal to obtain permission for previously made, but unauthorized, alterations to their apartment.

As the tribunal's decision states  , the couple used AI to search for legal precedent that would help them win their case.

Contrary to what the DI presented to them, the truth was that after the arbitrary changes were made to the housing, the rental of such housing was prohibited under local legislation. 

Nevertheless, the Geismayr family purchased the apartment in the hope of receiving retroactive approval and being able to rent it out, as the property is close to a popular ski resort. They presented the AI-generated information to the court.

AI "hallucinations"

It was only in court that it emerged that the generative AI chatbot – in this case, Microsoft Copilot – had provided the couple with false legal information. 

Almost all of the 10 court decisions generated by the AI ​​and presented by the Geismayrs to the tribunal as part of their arguments did not actually exist.

"I believe that such cases are AI 'hallucinations' where the system provides fabricated or misleading results," said tribunal member Peter Mennie.

The Geismayr family, who want to rent out their apartment in the future, will have to demolish the attic, a wooden platform that the previous owner installed without permission to increase living space.

Robert Geismayris admitted that this experience became a lesson not only for them, but also for other people. 

He said that he will still use AI in the future to gather general information, but will not rely on it to resolve legal or other important issues.

Meanwhile, generative AI remains a powerful force in content creation and can be useful in information retrieval. However, its answers shouldn't be taken at face value, as it's still a relatively young technology. Its developers have yet to find an effective way to eliminate the so-called "hallucinations" of AI.