Federal prosecutor resigns after AI errors found in court filing
A federal prosecutor in North Carolina is resigning from his office after admitting that he made errors in a brief by using artificial intelligence. (Image from Shutterstock)
A federal prosecutor in North Carolina is resigning from his office after admitting that he made errors in a brief by using artificial intelligence.
While reading a statement in court Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudy Renfer told U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II that he used AI to “catch up” on a draft filing, and that it was “the worst decision I’ve ever made in my 30-year career,” Law360 reports. Renfer worked in the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of North Carolina for 17 of those years.
To rebut Renfer’s claims that the mistakes were unintentional, Numbers showed a series of slides highlighting other errors in recent case filings and asked Renfer to explain them. This included a misattributed quote in caselaw.
“It’s difficult to credit your response given what you’ve done here,” Numbers said, according to Law360.
Renfer represented the U.S. Department of Defense and its leaders in a health care benefits lawsuit brought by retired U.S. Air Force Col. Derence V. Fivehouse, Law360 reports. Fivehouse, who is also a licensed attorney, alerted the court that the department’s response to one of his motions included fabricated quotations and misquoted case holdings.
Renfer told Numbers that he viewed AI as a tool, Law360 reports. To that, Numbers questioned how Renfer could continue with its use as attorneys increasingly face sanctions over similar errors and misrepresentations.
“Why are you using AI to do basic issue spotting work that attorneys do every day?” Numbers also reportedly asked Renfer.
W. Ellis Boyle, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, appeared in court with Renfer. According to Law360, he said the office will address its policies about attorney use of AI.
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