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 (594 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)

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 Report icon 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.

State
Party
Nature – Category
Nature – Subcategory

Case Court / Jurisdiction Date ▼ Party Using AI AI Tool Nature of Hallucination Outcome / Sanction Monetary Penalty Details Report(s)
Herzel Hagigi v. Official Receiver Supreme Court (Israel) 28 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1), Legal Norm (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Appeal dismissed, monetary sanction 5000 ILS
Mrs Sandra Archer v GTC Contracting Fair Work Commission (Australia) 24 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1)

The applicant's representative (Mr M Archer) cited various cases in closing submissions; the Deputy President formed the view he may have used artificial intelligence, asked him, and he admitted doing so. He was asked to supply a list of cited cases with links; the Commission stated it would disregard any cases for which citations/links could not be produced.

Kalala v. Coopérative d'habitation La Fraternité Micheloise CS Québec (Canada) 23 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Misrepresented Legal Norm (1)
Monetary Sanction 500 CAD
Allen v. Amazon N.D. Texas (USA) 23 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Warning

Amazon alleged that Allen's undisclosed use of AI produced non-existent case citations and hallucinated quotations; the court declined to sanction, warned Allen and required future compliance with local AI-disclosure rule.

Krystle J. Lyons v. Oak Harbor School District W.D. Washington (Seattle) (USA) 23 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Amended Complaint dismissed with prejudice.
Report
Plaintiff's Response
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Leber v. Bryan Medical Center et al. D. Nebraska (USA) 23 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
Tekla & Tekla Federal Circuit and Family Court (Australia) 23 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (3)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (2)
Minjie Zheng v. ICANN C.D. California (USA) 23 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
False Quotes Case Law (1), Legal Norm (1)
Monetary Sanction 66129 USD

The Court found plaintiff repeatedly cited cases that could not be located and attributed false quotations to existing cases and statutes, concluding many citations were AI-generated; awarded reduced fees under §1927 given pro se status.

Source: Robert Freund
Matter of: KE System Services, Inc. GAO (USA) 22 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Smith v. Clarence Smith et al. N.D. New York (USA) 22 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (3)
Misrepresented Case Law (2)
Warning
Report
Plaintiff's Objection
Levy v. Google LLC W.D. Washington (USA) 22 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2), Exhibits or Submissions (1)
False Quotes Case Law (3)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Donovan v. Clark County Assessor Tax Court of Indiana (USA) 22 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Warning
Rathi & Rathi Federal Circuit and Family Court (Australia) 22 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Legal Norm (1)
Misrepresented Legal Norm (1)
Obermann v. ICBC BC CRT (Canada) 19 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)

"Mr. Obermann’s submissions refer to cases that do not exist or do not apply. I find the most likely explanation is that they are “hallucinations” generated by artificial intelligence. In AQ v. BW, 2025 BCCRT 907 at paragraph 16, a CRT vice chair found that CRT’s obligation to provide sufficient reasons did not require it to address arguments with no basis in law. I agree with this reasoning and do not address those cases. "

Fantini v. WestRock Services, LLC D. New Jersey (USA) 19 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
Report
Plaintiff's Cross Motion for Summary Judgment
Gavin Simpson v. Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC W.D. Virginia (USA) 19 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Legal Norm (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Groux v. CSL CA Michigan (USA) 19 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Appeal dismissed
Robert Lafayette v. Alex Abrami et al Vermont SC (USA) 18 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Adverse Costs Order; Pre-Filing Injunction 7361 USD

Order to show cause is here.

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. v. Christina Buenzli CA California (USA) 18 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (6)
False Quotes Case Law (3)
Gerou v. George, Whitten, and United States E.D. Wisconsin (USA) 18 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (3)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (3)
Warning
Edward Starski v. Chandler Holderness CA Appeals (USA) 18 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Warning
Friend v. Serpa CA Florida (USA) 17 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Halpern v. Federal Reserve Bank of New York, et al. N.D. Illinois (USA) 17 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
False Quotes Case Law (1)
In re Ricardo Andres Romeu CA Texas (USA) 16 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
Michael Redwine v. Unum Life Insurance Company of America W.D. Virginia (USA) 16 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Holmes Family Trust v. Multnomah County Assessor Oregon Tax Court (USA) 16 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Pakuza v Workers' Compensation Regulator Queensland IRC (Australia) 16 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Sayali Kulkarni & Abhijit Kulkarni v. Merit Systems Protection Board CA Federal Circuit (USA) 15 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Affirmed the Board; granted motions to strike the Kulkarnis' informal reply briefs containing the false citations/quotes
Report
Plaintiff's Informal Brief
Braica v. Frankowski (Anthony Braica v. Tom Frankowski) D. Connecticut (USA) 15 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
False Quotes Case Law (2)
Misrepresented Case Law (7)
Outdated Advice Overturned Case Law (1)
Briefs struck; warning
Christina Garcia v. Atwater Elementary Teachers Association California PERB (USA) 15 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (3)
Warning
Harvey v. Torrent Leasing & U.S. Bank D. Nevada (USA) 15 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant ChatGPT
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
Robert W. Williams, Sr. v. Assistant District Attorney John R. Canavan, et al. M.D. Pennsylvania (USA) 15 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
Howell Management Services, LLC v. Vashisht-Rota CA California (USA) 15 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Fine and adverse costs order 64235 USD
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Troy Allen Berg v. Mandi Marie Wondra D. Oregon (USA) 12 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Outdated Advice Overturned Case Law (2)
Warning
Jordan v. Beskrone (In re Prehired LLC) D. Delaware (Bankruptcy) (USA) 12 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (2)
Second Amended Complaint dismissed
Source: Jesse Schaefer
McLain v. Board of County Commissioners of Sedgwick County, Kansas, et al. D. Kansas (USA) 11 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
Report
Plaintiff's Motion
Preston House v. TH Foods, Inc. D. Nevada (USA) 11 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Admonishment
Sean Gottlieb v. Adtalem Global Education N.D. Illinois (USA) 10 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Order to Show Cause
Report
Plaintiff's Second Memorandum
James Fahey v. Wally’s Las Vegas, LLC, et al. D. Nevada (USA) 10 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
Report
Plaintiff's Response
D (A Child) (Recusal) Court of Appeal (UK) 9 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (2)
Warning
Scott M. Boger v. City of Harrisonburg, Virginia, et al. W.D. Virginia (USA) 9 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
Case n° 2512468 TA Grenoble (France) 9 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Brian Jeffrey Hall Jr. v. Halsted Financial Services, LLC W.D. Virginia (USA) 8 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
Chu v Darmali FCA (Australia) 8 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Exhibits or Submissions (1)
Outdated Advice Overturned Case Law (1)
Barrette v Wevers KB Alberta (Canada) 8 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2), Legal Norm (1)
Adverse Costs 1000 CAD
Thomas Duncan v. Gridhawk et al. W.D. Texas (USA) 6 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Plaintiff's objections struck
Donnie Yarn and Deshawn Murphy v. Trader Joe's D. Oregon (USA) 5 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Order to Show Cause
Report
Plaintiff's Opposition
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Mullins v. Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit W.D. Pennsylvania (USA) 5 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
False Quotes Case Law (3)
Reply struck; Order to disclose AI use
Report
Plaintiff's Reply
Onyinye Udokporo v Enrich International IPO (UK) 5 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (2)
False Quotes Case Law (2)
Jacob Barry Allston v. Ron DeSantis, et al. M.D. Florida (USA) 4 December 2025 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (2)
Warning