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Anthropic's Claude AI Creates Legal Citation From Whole Cloth

Anthropic's Claude AI created an entirely made-up citation while the company was trying to win its ongoing battle with music publishers.

Anthropic says that Claude came up with a citation with "an inaccurate title and inaccurate authors" i.e., the AI just made up an entry. Anthropic called it "an honest citation mistake and not a fabrication of authority".

Whoever thought up the idea of using artificial intelligences to help with legal proceedings? The idea is older than you think.

As far as I know, the first description of such a thing dates back to 1844, in an article called The Lawyer's Clerk Question Settled, created Punch, a satirical magazine.

Now Mr BABBAGE, I will tell you what I wish you would do. You have invented a Calculating Machine. Cannot you likewise invent an Engrossing Machine--an Automaton Lawyer's Clerk? The misery of the Clerk at present in use is, that his frame is composed of flesh and blood [...] But, ingenious Sir, could you construct an Automaton Clerk, all these inconveniences would be obviated.

Mahogany has no nervous system, springs and wires do nor vibrate with sensations; and to the Attorney's wrong and the Solicitor's contumely, the whole clockwork would be impassible. The machine could not contract matrimony and have to keep a family; and were you, Sir, its Parent, (which Heaven avert!) to fall into distress, it would not be called upon to maintain you. It would bear all kinds of indignity and ill-treatment without a murmur; it could call no meetings, write no letters to the newspapers. Like master and slave, it would be wholly unfeeling. It would work all day, and night too, if necessary, uncomplainingly, till it got out of order; and then it might be mended.

Here is a Clerk that would work incessantly, and neither eat, sleep, want payment, or grumble : this, I apprehend, exactly applying the Attorney's grand desideratum--I would advise you to call it THE PATENT INSENSIBLE LAWYER'S CLERK.
(Read more about the Automaton Lawyer's Clerk)

Via TechCrunch.

Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 5/11/2025)

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