AI in the courtroom: the dangers of using ChatGTP in legal practice in South Africa

By Jacques Matthee, Senior Lecturer, University of the Free State
Grey Stopforth, Lecturer in Department of Mercantile Law at the Faculty of Law, University of the Free State

A South African court case made headlines for all the wrong reasons in January 2025. The legal team in Mavundla v MEC: Department of Co-Operative Government and Traditional Affairs KwaZulu-Natal and Others had relied on case law that simply didn’t exist. It had been generated by ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot developed by OpenAI.

Only two of the nine case authorities the legal team submitted to the…

Read complete article

~	Brazil: Police massacre in Rio de Janeiro is evidence yet again of systemic and racist violence

~	Critic of Mali’s Junta Forcibly Disappeared

~	Alleged Cluster Munition Remnant Kills Cambodian Boy

~	SETI’s ‘Noah’s Ark’ – a space historian explores how the advent of radio astronomy led to the USSR’s search for extraterrestrial life

~	2 ways you can conserve the water used to make your food

~	Oklahoma tried out a test to ‘woke-proof’ the classroom. It was short-lived, but could still leave a mark

~	America’s teachers are being priced out of their communities − these cities are building subsidized housing to lure them back

~	Diane Keaton’s $5M pet trust would be over the top if reports prove true – here’s how to ensure your beloved pet is safe after you are gone

~	Singles’ Day is a $150B holiday in China. Here’s why I think ‘11/11’ will catch on in the US

~	Rape culture is a problem for everyone – here are three ways to tackle it