Judge skeptical over remorse of defendant who used AI to write apology letters
A judge in New Zealand questioned whether a defendant in an arson case is truly remorseful after discovering that she used artificial intelligence to draft apology letters. (Image from Shutterstock)
A judge in New Zealand questioned whether a defendant in an arson case is truly remorseful after discovering that she used artificial intelligence to draft apology letters.
“Out of curiosity I punched into two AI tools ‘draft me a letter for a judge expressing remorse for my offending,’” said Judge Tom Gilbert of the district court in Christchurch, New Zealand, according to a sentencing hearing transcript that was shared with the New York Times. “It became immediately apparent that these were two AI-generated letters, albeit with tweaks around the edges.”
Gilbert, who made the discovery last week, said during the hearing he wasn’t criticizing the defendant’s use of AI, according to the New York Times. But he also said “when one is considering the genuineness of an individual’s remorse, simply producing a computer-generated letter does not really take me anywhere as far as I am concerned.”
Gilbert granted only a 5% reduction in the defendant’s sentence based on her remorse, the New York Times reports. Her lawyer had requested a 10% reduction.
The defendant was sentenced to 27 months in prison, the New York Times reports.
Write a letter to the editor, share a story tip or update, or report an error.
