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
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | — | ||
|
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 | — | ||
| 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 | — | ||
| 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 | — | ||
| 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 | — | ||
| 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 | — | ||
| 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 | — | ||
| 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 | — | ||
|
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 | — | ||
| 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 | — | — | |