Experts Warn Courts May Overlook AI Hallucinations In Legal Filings - 1

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Experts Warn Courts May Overlook AI Hallucinations In Legal Filings

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

A Georgia court overturned a divorce order after discovering fake legal citations, likely generated by AI, raising alarms about growing risks in justice systems.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Georgia court vacated order due to suspected AI-generated fake case citations.
  • Judge Jeff Watkins cited “generative AI” as a likely source of bogus cases.
  • Experts say courts are likely to miss more AI errors in filings.

The case before a Georgia court demonstrates how artificial intelligence (AI) might quietly degrade the public’s trust in American legal institutions. ArsTechnica reports that Judge Jeff Watkins from the Georgia Court of Appeals overturned a divorce order because he found two made-up cases in the document, which were likely AI content.

The order had been drafted by attorney Diana Lynch, which ArsTechnica reports it is now a common practice in overworked courts. This growing habit of using AI in legal filings makes shortcuts particularly risky.

Lynch was sanctioned $2,500, and Judge Watkins wrote, “the irregularities in these filings suggest that they were drafted using generative AI,” adding that AI hallucinations can “waste time and money,” damage the system’s reputation, and allow a “litigant […] to defy a judicial ruling by disingenuously claiming doubt about its authenticity,” as reported by ArsTechnica.

Experts warn this is not an isolated case. John Browning, a former Texas appeals judge, said it’s “frighteningly likely” more trial courts will mistakenly rely on AI-generated fake citations , especially in overburdened systems. “I can envision such a scenario in any number of situations,” he told Ars Technica.

Other recent examples echo the concern. The Colorado legal system fined two attorneys representing MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell a total of $3,000 after they presented AI-generated legal documents with more than twenty major mistakes. Judge Nina Y. Wang wrote, “this Court derives no joy from sanctioning attorneys,” but emphasized that lawyers are responsible for verifying filings.

In California, another judge fined two law firms $31,000 after they submitted briefs containing fake citations . “That’s scary,” wrote Judge Michael Wilner, who was nearly persuaded by the fake rulings. Unless courts adapt quickly, AI hallucinations could become a recurring nightmare in American justice.

This trend is particularly concerning when considering how expensive legal representation already is. People commonly believe that legal fees ensure both accuracy and professional service from their lawyers. However, as attorneys use AI for shortcuts, clients may end up paying the bill for mistakes made by a machine.

These hallucinations don’t just threaten legal outcomes, they also may reinforce inequality by making justice even harder to access for those who can least afford to fight it.

Alaska Airlines Resumes Flights After Three-Hour IT Outage - 2

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Alaska Airlines Resumes Flights After Three-Hour IT Outage

  • Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Alaska Airlines grounded all of its flights for three hours during an IT outage that began Sunday night and continued into Monday morning. Over 200 aircraft were ordered to remain on the ground while the situation was addressed. Operations have since resumed.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Alaska Airlines grounded all of its flights for three hours during an IT outage.
  • The airline announced it has resumed operations, but didn’t specify the cause.
  • Its operational fleet includes 238 Boeing planes and 45 aircraft under its brand Horizon Air.

According to Reuters , this marks the second time in the past year the American carrier has had to temporarily stop operations. In April 2024, it also grounded its entire fleet due to an issue with the internal system for calculating aircraft weight and balance. The airline has not specified the cause of the most recent outage, stating only that an issue was detected and a solution has been implemented.

“At approximately 8 p.m. Pacific on July 20, we experienced an IT outage that resulted in a temporary, system-wide ground stop for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air flights,” wrote the airline on a post shared on the social media platform X. “As of 11 p.m. Pacific, the ground stop has been lifted, and our operations have resumed.”

Multiple passengers shared videos and photos on social media showing crowded airport terminals as travelers waited for updates. “Trying to fly back to Austin from Seattle. Sea-Tac is a madhouse right now. Alaska Airlines ground stop,” wrote one user. “These crowds speak for themselves.”

Trying to fly back to Austin from Seattle. Sea-Tac is a madhouse right now. Alaska Airlines ground stop. These crowds speak for themselves. pic.twitter.com/JzQ4YdHF11 — Adam Bennett (@AdamBennettKVUE) July 21, 2025

According to the New York Times , Alaska Airlines’ operational fleet includes 238 Boeing planes and 45 aircraft under its other brand, Horizon Air—both of which were affected by the outage.

Alaska Airlines has more than 44 million customers, and serves over 120 destinations in 5 countries. It’s the fifth-largest airline in the United States.

The incident sparked controversy and tension. In addition to multiple stranded passengers who had to wait hours to resume their flights, recent cyberattacks on other airlines raise concerns about the cause of the Alaska Airlines system failure.

A few weeks ago, Hawaiian Airlines announced that its IT systems had been compromised in a cyberattack, and WestJet also reported a recent IT system breach.