Background
In a £89m damages claim against Qatar National Bank, the claimant’s solicitor filed pleadings containing 18 fabricated case citations and invented quotations generated by an AI tool. The Divisional Court found this to be a gross breach of professional duty, highlighting negligence and warning of possible disciplinary or contempt consequences.
AI interaction
‘Such tools can produce apparently coherent and plausible responses to prompts, but those coherent and plausible responses may turn out to be entirely incorrect.’ The court highlighted the risks of uncritical reliance on AI systems, emphasising that legal professionals must independently verify sources to preserve integrity and public trust.
Note: This observation formed part of the same Divisional Court ruling that also covered Ayinde v Haringey; both cases share the same citation.