ChatGPT has been the subject of much discussion for the better part of the last year, and continues to be so in 2023, thanks to the rapid advancement in the field of generative artificial intelligence.
Moreover, using bots like ChatGPT and Google Bard has become a straightforward process. If you are an age-appropriate user, logging in allows you to easily start using these AI apps. However, the question arises—should they be used to simplify work or meet deadlines? Well, considering Zachariah Crabill’s case, the answer should be no, but it deserves discourse.
Crabill is a 29-year-old lawyer who got fired after he used ChatGPT during his stint at the Baker Law Group in Colorado, USA, as reported by Business Insider. Now, why would a lawyer find the need to use ChatGPT?
Simply put, Crabill says that he was stressed about approaching deadlines and increasing stress once his bosses tasked him with a lot of work in May. And, to deal with the increased pressure, he turned to ChatGPT as a research tool. And, in one instance, he asked it to support a motion he had written.
“When ChatGPT saved me hours of work, it was a tiny ray of sunlight in an otherwise abysmal situation,” Crabill was quoted as saying by Insider. He added, “My experience is not unique; sadly, I’ve heard many attorneys say they too were ‘thrown to the wolves’ early in their career.”
ChatGPT was able to complete his motion, and it was then approved by his boss to eventually be submitted to the Colorado court. However, in doing so, the young lawyer forgot to check ChatGPT’s response, and this is how things turned sour. The chatbot ended up creating fictional lawsuit citations, and this—of course—got him fired.
He eventually told the judge that he had used the AI chatbot to help bolster the motion document.
However, Crabill still believes in the abilities of generative AI and that AI can make lawyers more productive. In fact, he has opened his own venture that offers legal services assisted by artificial intelligence. In addition, he says that ChatGPT is equivalent to Google for him, and he uses it daily for his “job.”
