AI Hallucination Cases
This database tracks legal decisions1
I.e., all documents where the use of AI, whether established or merely alleged, is addressed in more than a passing reference by the court or tribunal.
Notably, this does not cover mere allegations of hallucinations, but only cases where the court or tribunal has explicitly found (or implied) that a party relied on hallucinated content or material.
As an exception, the database also covers some judicial decisions where AI use was alleged but not confirmed. This is a judgment call on my part.
in cases where generative AI produced hallucinated content – typically fake citations, but also other types of AI-generated arguments. It does not track the (necessarily wider) universe of all fake citations or use of AI in court filings.
While seeking to be exhaustive (1348 cases identified so far), it is a work in progress and will expand as new examples emerge. This database has been featured in news media, and indeed in several decisions dealing with hallucinated material.2
Examples of media coverage include:
- M. Hiltzik, AI 'hallucinations' are a growing problem for the legal profession (LA Times, 22 May 2025)
- E. Volokh, "AI Hallucination Cases," from Courts All Over the World (Volokh Conspiracy, 18 May 2025)
- J-.M. Manach, "Il génère des plaidoiries par IA, et en recense 160 ayant « halluciné » depuis 2023" (Next, 1 July 2025)
- J. Koebler & J. Roscoe, "18 Lawyers Caught Using AI Explain Why They Did It (404 Media, 30 September 2025)
And if you know of a case that should be included, feel free to contact me.3 (Readers may also be interested in this project regarding AI use in academic papers.)
Based on this database, I have developped an automated reference checker that also detects hallucinations: PelAIkan. Check the Reports 
in the database for examples, and reach out to me for a demo !
For weekly takes on cases like these, and what they mean for legal practice, subscribe to Artificial Authority.
| Case | Court / Jurisdiction | Date ▼ | Party Using AI | AI Tool ⓘ | Nature of Hallucination | Outcome / Sanction | Monetary Penalty | Details | Report(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith and Commissioner of Taxation | Administrative Review Tribunal (Australia) | 12 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(4)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(2)
|
— | — | ||
| Wurtenberg v. The City of New York | SC New York (USA) | 12 January 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| Gharavi v. Google LLC | N.D. California (USA) | 12 January 2026 | Lawyer | Bloomberg Law |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Motion for Sanctions denied | — | — | |
|
Rodgers' declaration included a non-existent Wisconsin criminal case citation (reported by Bloomberg Law). Court found the error inadvertent, attributable to reliance on Bloomberg, and denied sanctions because conduct was neither reckless nor in bad faith. |
|||||||||
| Ms F Green v Imprint Creative Print Solutions Limited | Employment Tribunal (Leeds) (UK) | 12 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Vasina v. York Condominium Corporation No. 486 | ONCAT (Canada) | 12 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(4),
Legal Norm
(1)
|
— | — | ||
|
Source: Courtready
|
|||||||||
| Alami Nature Electricity Ltd. v. Nof Ganusar Agricultural Cooperative | D. Nazareth (Israel) | 11 January 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Legal costs denied (despite prevailing) | — | — | |
| Hayes v. Chipotle Mexican Grill | M.D. Florida (USA) | 9 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(4)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| Garibay-Robledo v. Noem | N.D. Texas (USA) | 9 January 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| Zaykariya v. Freedom Mortgage Corporation, et al. | W.D. Oklahoma (USA) | 9 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(8)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| Pearl Gardner v. Nationstar Mortgage LLC | D. Arizona (USA) | 9 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Clearpoint |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1),
Legal Norm
(1)
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
|
Bar Referral | — | — | |
|
Clearpoint, a non-party document preparer, used undisclosed AI to draft filings for the pro se plaintiff that contained numerous nonexistent cases, statutes, and misquoted/misconstrued authorities. Nationstar highlighted over sixty instances; the Court found hallmarks of AI-produced work and referred the matter to the Arizona State Bar and Attorney General for potential investigation. |
|||||||||
|
Source: Volokh
|
|||||||||
| Alexandra Philomena Brigid Roy v Attorney General of Canada | Federal Court (Canada) | 9 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
|
Source: Courtready
|
|||||||||
| Esteme v. Aquitaine Co-Investment | T. com. Bordeaux (France) | 9 January 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
|
⚠ Alleged AI Use
|
|||||||||
| Deutsche Bank National Bank v. Jean LeTennier | SC New York (USA) | 8 January 2026 | Lawyer | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Orders affirmed; monetary sanctions imposed (counsel $5,000; defendant $2,500) and costs awarded | 10000 USD | — | |
| Elden v HMRC | First-tier Tribunal (UK) | 8 January 2026 | Lawyer | Unidentified |
Misrepresented
Case Law
(4)
|
Order to include statements of truth about AI use | — | — | |
| Saad Hanna v. Kimberly A. Nelson | Colorado CA (USA) | 8 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(2)
|
Warning; No adverse costs order | — | — | |
|
The defendant-appellee alleged that Hanna's brief contained nonexistent case citations generated by a GenAI tool. The court noted alleged fabricated citations and some incorrect citations but declined to impose sanctions against the pro se appellant, affirming the dismissal and denying attorney fees. |
|||||||||
| Desmond Cunningham v. Pentagon Federal Credit Union, et al. | N.D. Mississippi (USA) | 7 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
|
All claims dismissed with prejudice; warning | — |
Plaintiff's Response
|
|
| Hector Salvatori v. The Huntington National Bank | S.D. Ohio (USA) | 7 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Jessica Baker v. Ryan Joseph Baker | Superior Court of Pennsylvania (USA) | 7 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(5)
|
— | — | ||
| Thu Thuy Nguyen v. PennyMac Loan Services | D. Nevada (USA) | 7 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(4)
|
Warning; Possible Monetary Sanction | — | — | |
|
Source: Jesse Schaefer
|
|||||||||
| Kamps v. British Crown Corporation, et al. | W.D. Michigan (USA) | 7 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
|
Case dismissed as frivolous. | — | — | |
|
The court found the plaintiff's objections and central claims rooted in sovereign-citizen ideology and noted a fabricated quotation attributed to Penhallow v. Doane's Administrators, 3 U.S. 54 (1795). The R&R was adopted and the action dismissed as frivolous. |
|||||||||
|
Source: Jesse Schaefer
|
|||||||||
| United States v. Juliet Payseur and 20-22 McGregor Avenue, LLC | D. New Jersey (USA) | 7 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(2)
|
Warning | — |
Motion to Strike
|
|
|
Source: Jesse Schaefer
|
|||||||||
| Ramos v. Ramos | CA Minnesota (USA) | 7 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Argument treated as forfeited | — | — | |
| Mr. Deepak s/o Shivkumar Bahry v. Heart & Soul Entertainment Ltd. | HC Bombay (India) | 7 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Adverse costs order | 1 | — | |
|
Source: Alvin Antony
|
|||||||||
| TA Orléans, Reconduite à la frontière, n° 2506907 | TA Orléans (France) | 7 January 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(4)
|
Admonishment | — | — | |
| Hanlon v. Parkersburg City | CC Wood County, W.V. (USA) | 6 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Request for injunctive relief dismissed | — | — | |
| Sammie Dwayne McPhaul v. College Hills OPCO | D. Kansas (USA) | 6 January 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
False Quotes
Case Law
(5)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Order to Show Cause | — | — | |
| Tamisha Shaw v. Coast Dental of Georgia et al/ | SC Gwinnett County, Georgia (USA) | 6 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(3)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Monetary Sanction | 2632 | — | |
| Riley Pollard v UNIFOR Local 324 | Ontario LRB (Canada) | 6 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Legal Norm
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Case No. 2025가단10169 | D. Daegu (South Korea) | 6 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | ChatGPT | — | Warning | — | — | |
|
As recounted here. |
|||||||||
| Greenwood v. The Owners, Strata Plan | BC CRT (Canada) | 5 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Legal Norm
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Ayatollah Hylton v. Chivone Janee Hylton, et al. | S.D. Florida (USA) | 5 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| Bahrani v Peters | CA Saskatchewan (Canada) | 5 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Misuse of AI taken into account in reducing costs owed | — | — | |
| Allen v. Experian Information Solutions | D. Idaho (USA) | 4 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
False Quotes
Case Law
(2)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| Washburn v. Houston | Arizona CA (USA) | 2 January 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
False Quotes
Case Law
(1),
Exhibits or Submissions
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Bar referral | — | — | |
|
Appellant Father's counsel submitted an opening brief containing misleading/inaccurate legal citations, mischaracterized case law, fabricated quotations attributed to Owen v. Blackhawk, and false quotations purportedly from the amended decree and hearing transcripts. The appellate court identified these errors, concluded they supported a potential ethics referral, and forwarded the decision to the State Bar for review. |
|||||||||
| Dudak (Re) | SafeRoads Alberta (Canada) | 2 January 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | ChatGPT |
Fabricated
Case Law
(8)
|
— | — | ||
|
Source: Courtready
|
|||||||||
| Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency v. Bradley K. Bass, et al. | Massachusetts Land Court (USA) | 31 December 2025 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| Eric Hildebrandt v. siParadigm LLC et al. | D. New Jersey (USA) | 31 December 2025 | Lawyer | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2)
False Quotes
Exhibits or Submissions
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Cesareo v. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey | D. New Jersey (USA) | 31 December 2025 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
False Quotes
Case Law
(2)
|
— | — | ||
|
Source: Jesse Schaefer
|
|||||||||
| Sentencia 000126/2025 | TSJ Gran Canaria (Spain) | 31 December 2025 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1),
Doctrinal Work
(1)
False Quotes
Case Law
(2)
Misrepresented
other
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Burnett v. The City of New York | SC New York (USA) | 31 December 2025 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Order to Show Cause | — | — | |
| Tiffany Regina Ringer v. Bank of America, N.A. | N.D. Georgia (Atlanta Division) (USA) | 30 December 2025 | Lawyer | Implied |
False Quotes
Case Law
(1),
Legal Norm
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Fine; Ordered to submit statement of training/oversight | 1500 USD | — | |
|
Report on Recommendations can be found here. |
|||||||||
|
Source: Robert Freund
|
|||||||||
| Johnson v. Digital Federal Credit Union | N.D. Texas (USA) | 30 December 2025 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
— |
Plaintiff's Second Amended Complaint
|
||
| M.T. Real Estate Investment Inc. v. Servis One, Inc., et al. | D. Nevada (USA) | 30 December 2025 | Lawyer | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(4),
Doctrinal Work
(1)
|
Briefs Struck; Adverse Costs Order; Bar Referral | — | — | |
| Pauliah v. University of Mississippi Medical Center | S.D. Mississippi (USA) | 30 December 2025 | Lawyer, Pro Se Litigant | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Exhibits or Submissions
(2)
False Quotes
Exhibits or Submissions
(1)
|
Monetary Sanction; CLE | 5000 USD | — | |
|
The plaintiff's sworn declaration contained multiple fabricated quotations and manufactured deposition citations. Defendants identified the fabrications in a motion to strike; the court found the declaration filed in bad faith, struck it, and imposed sanctions under Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(h). The plaintiff admitted using generative AI to draft portions and failing to review the declaration; counsel failed to verify the citations despite attending and taking the depositions. |
|||||||||
| Mazaheri v Law Society of Ontario | Ontario Law Society Tribunal (Canada) | 30 December 2025 | Lawyer | Grok |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1),
Exhibits or Submissions
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Nicole Beverly Silverberg v. Steven Bonomo, et al. | D. Nevada (USA) | 30 December 2025 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| Labatt USA Operating v. Friends Beverage Group | SC New York (USA) | 30 December 2025 | Lawyer | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Filings struck | — | — | |
|
By interim order dated March 17, 2025 the court struck defendants' opposition and cross-motion after finding the filings, drafted with AI, contained hallucinated (fabricated) case citations. The court treated the motion as unopposed thereafter. |
|||||||||
| M Peiu v Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | Employment Tribunal (Swansea) (UK) | 30 December 2025 | Pro Se Litigant | ChatGPT |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Ng v. AmGuard Insurance Company, et al. | S.D. New York (USA) | 29 December 2025 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — |
Plaintiff's Memorandum in Opposition
|
|
| In re S.A., D.H., and B.M., Minors | CA Illinois (USA) | 29 December 2025 | Lawyer | Implied |
False Quotes
Case Law
(4)
|
Warning | — | — | |