Judge Criticizes AI Entrepreneur for Employing AI-Generated 'Lawyer' in Court
A man's bold move to use an AI-generated avatar in his legal appeal certainly caught the attention of a New York courtroom, though not in the way he might have hoped.
Jerome Dewald, a 74-year-old entrepreneur behind a startup claiming to "revolutionize legal self-representation with AI," faced a stern rebuke during an employment dispute hearing on March 26th. The issue? He failed to disclose to the judges that the person presenting his oral argument was artificially generated. Although the court had given Dewald the green light to submit a video, Justice Sallie Manzanet-Daniels was taken aback when an unfamiliar face, clearly not Dewald, appeared on screen.
"Hold on," Manzanet-Daniels interjected, barely a sentence into the avatar's speech. "Is that counsel for the case?"
"I generated that," Dewald admitted. "It's not a real person."
Dewald explained to *The Register* that the avatar, a "big, beautiful hunk of a guy" named Jim, was one of the stock options from an AI avatar company called Tavus. He submitted the video due to his challenges with prolonged speaking, but the court was unaware that the video was AI-generated.
"It would have been nice to know that when you made your application. You did not tell me that, sir, I don't appreciate being misled," Manzanet-Daniels retorted after Dewald's confession. "You are not going to use this courtroom as a launch for your business."
Recent AI Mishaps in Legal Settings
This incident is part of a growing list of mishaps where AI and legal processes intersect. In 2023, two attorneys and their law firm faced penalties for submitting fictitious legal research generated by ChatGPT. Similarly, the "robot lawyer" company DoNotPay was slapped with a $193,000 settlement by the FTC in February for falsely claiming that its AI legal representation matched the effectiveness of human lawyers.
These cases highlight the importance of transparency and caution when integrating AI into legal proceedings. As technology continues to evolve, it's crucial for users to be upfront about their use of AI tools to maintain the integrity and trust within the judicial system.
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Comments (8)
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![CarlMartin]()
CarlMartin
August 5, 2025 at 10:01:00 PM EDT
Quel culot de vouloir utiliser un avatar IA en tribunal ! 😅 Franchement, je trouve ça fascinant, mais ça montre aussi les limites de l’IA face à un vrai juge. Peut-être qu’un jour on verra des IA avocats, mais là, c’est un peu trop tôt, non ?
0
![JackHernández]()
JackHernández
July 27, 2025 at 9:19:05 PM EDT
That AI lawyer stunt in court was wild! 😅 I get trying to shake things up, but maybe leave the lawyering to humans for now—AI’s not ready to argue cases like Perry Mason!
0
![PeterThomas]()
PeterThomas
July 23, 2025 at 1:31:54 AM EDT
This AI lawyer stunt is wild! I get trying to innovate, but using a bot in court feels like showing up to a gunfight with a toy pistol. 😅 Curious if this guy thought it’d actually work or just wanted the publicity.
0
![AlbertAllen]()
AlbertAllen
April 20, 2025 at 8:37:23 AM EDT
Using an AI 'lawyer' in court? That's wild! Jerome's idea was innovative but clearly backfired. The judge's reaction was priceless! 😂 Maybe next time, stick to human lawyers for serious cases. Still, gotta admire the guts to try something so out there!
0
![BruceSmith]()
BruceSmith
April 19, 2025 at 7:33:57 AM EDT
¡Usar un 'abogado' generado por IA en la corte? ¡Eso es una locura! La idea de Jerome fue innovadora, pero claramente falló. ¡La reacción del juez fue impagable! 😂 Tal vez la próxima vez, quédate con abogados humanos para casos serios. Aún así, hay que admirar el valor de intentar algo tan audaz!
0
![GeorgeTaylor]()
GeorgeTaylor
April 19, 2025 at 1:17:21 AM EDT
Usar um 'advogado' gerado por IA no tribunal? Isso é loucura! A ideia de Jerome foi inovadora, mas claramente deu errado. A reação do juiz foi impagável! 😂 Talvez na próxima vez, fique com advogados humanos para casos sérios. Ainda assim, é preciso admirar a coragem de tentar algo tão ousado!
0
A man's bold move to use an AI-generated avatar in his legal appeal certainly caught the attention of a New York courtroom, though not in the way he might have hoped.
Jerome Dewald, a 74-year-old entrepreneur behind a startup claiming to "revolutionize legal self-representation with AI," faced a stern rebuke during an employment dispute hearing on March 26th. The issue? He failed to disclose to the judges that the person presenting his oral argument was artificially generated. Although the court had given Dewald the green light to submit a video, Justice Sallie Manzanet-Daniels was taken aback when an unfamiliar face, clearly not Dewald, appeared on screen.
"Hold on," Manzanet-Daniels interjected, barely a sentence into the avatar's speech. "Is that counsel for the case?"
"I generated that," Dewald admitted. "It's not a real person."
Dewald explained to *The Register* that the avatar, a "big, beautiful hunk of a guy" named Jim, was one of the stock options from an AI avatar company called Tavus. He submitted the video due to his challenges with prolonged speaking, but the court was unaware that the video was AI-generated.
"It would have been nice to know that when you made your application. You did not tell me that, sir, I don't appreciate being misled," Manzanet-Daniels retorted after Dewald's confession. "You are not going to use this courtroom as a launch for your business."
Recent AI Mishaps in Legal Settings
This incident is part of a growing list of mishaps where AI and legal processes intersect. In 2023, two attorneys and their law firm faced penalties for submitting fictitious legal research generated by ChatGPT. Similarly, the "robot lawyer" company DoNotPay was slapped with a $193,000 settlement by the FTC in February for falsely claiming that its AI legal representation matched the effectiveness of human lawyers.
These cases highlight the importance of transparency and caution when integrating AI into legal proceedings. As technology continues to evolve, it's crucial for users to be upfront about their use of AI tools to maintain the integrity and trust within the judicial system.
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Meta has released new Llama security tools to bolster AI development and protect against emerging threats.These upgraded Llama AI model security tools are paired with Meta’s new resources to empower c
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Google is enhancing its AI-driven research and note-taking tool, NotebookLM, to serve as a comprehensive knowledge hub. On Monday, the company introduced a curated collection of notebooks from promine
August 5, 2025 at 10:01:00 PM EDT
Quel culot de vouloir utiliser un avatar IA en tribunal ! 😅 Franchement, je trouve ça fascinant, mais ça montre aussi les limites de l’IA face à un vrai juge. Peut-être qu’un jour on verra des IA avocats, mais là, c’est un peu trop tôt, non ?
0
July 27, 2025 at 9:19:05 PM EDT
That AI lawyer stunt in court was wild! 😅 I get trying to shake things up, but maybe leave the lawyering to humans for now—AI’s not ready to argue cases like Perry Mason!
0
July 23, 2025 at 1:31:54 AM EDT
This AI lawyer stunt is wild! I get trying to innovate, but using a bot in court feels like showing up to a gunfight with a toy pistol. 😅 Curious if this guy thought it’d actually work or just wanted the publicity.
0
April 20, 2025 at 8:37:23 AM EDT
Using an AI 'lawyer' in court? That's wild! Jerome's idea was innovative but clearly backfired. The judge's reaction was priceless! 😂 Maybe next time, stick to human lawyers for serious cases. Still, gotta admire the guts to try something so out there!
0
April 19, 2025 at 7:33:57 AM EDT
¡Usar un 'abogado' generado por IA en la corte? ¡Eso es una locura! La idea de Jerome fue innovadora, pero claramente falló. ¡La reacción del juez fue impagable! 😂 Tal vez la próxima vez, quédate con abogados humanos para casos serios. Aún así, hay que admirar el valor de intentar algo tan audaz!
0
April 19, 2025 at 1:17:21 AM EDT
Usar um 'advogado' gerado por IA no tribunal? Isso é loucura! A ideia de Jerome foi inovadora, mas claramente deu errado. A reação do juiz foi impagável! 😂 Talvez na próxima vez, fique com advogados humanos para casos sérios. Ainda assim, é preciso admirar a coragem de tentar algo tão ousado!
0
