Expert Witness Lands in Hot Water with New York Judge for Testimony Based on AI Chatbot
- An expert witness used Microsoft's Copilot chatbot to estimate damages in a real estate dispute.
- The judge criticized the witness for his lack of expertise and the inconsistency of AI-generated outputs.
- The case highlighted the need for transparency and verification of AI use in legal proceedings.
In a recent court case in New York, an expert witness faced scrutiny for relying on Microsoft's Copilot chatbot to estimate damages in a real estate dispute involving a $485,000 rental property in the Bahamas. The case centered on allegations against the executrix and trustee, who was accused of breaching fiduciary duties by delaying the property's sale for personal use. The expert, Ranson, lacked real estate expertise and turned to AI for calculations, but struggled to recall the prompts used and admitted to a limited understanding of the technology. Judge Jonathan Schopf expressed concerns over the reliability of AI-generated evidence, noting inconsistencies in the chatbot's outputs during his own testing. He emphasized the importance of human verification of AI results before they are presented in court. Ultimately, the judge found no breach of fiduciary duty and deemed Ranson's testimony unnecessary, highlighting the need for transparency regarding AI use in legal proceedings.