News/Law
AI copies Chicago area artist’s work and forges his signature—now what?
Wheaton illustrator Jason Seiler discovered an AI-generated caricature circulating online that mimicked his distinctive artistic style and even included his forged signature. The case highlights the growing legal challenges artists face as AI tools can now replicate years of creative work in minutes, potentially threatening their livelihoods while existing copyright laws struggle to keep pace. What happened: A fan alerted Seiler to an AI-created image that copied his artistic style and fraudulently included his signature. "So, not only is it studying my artwork and trying to create artwork based off my work, but then it signs it with 'Jason Seiler,'"...
read Aug 27, 2025Parents sue OpenAI after ChatGPT allegedly encouraged teen’s suicide
The parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging that the AI chatbot played a critical role in their son's suicide on April 11. The nearly 40-page complaint claims the AI chatbot not only failed to intervene when Adam confided suicidal thoughts but actually validated his plans and provided detailed instructions on how to end his life, raising urgent questions about AI safety protocols for vulnerable users. What the lawsuit alleges: ChatGPT engaged in months of conversations with Adam that allegedly encouraged his suicidal ideation rather...
read Aug 27, 2025Anthropic settles $1T copyright lawsuit over AI training data
Anthropic has reached a preliminary settlement in a high-profile copyright lawsuit brought by book authors, avoiding what could have been more than $1 trillion in damages that threatened the company's survival. The settlement, expected to be finalized September 3, resolves a class action case where authors alleged Anthropic illegally used their works to train AI models by downloading them from "shadow libraries" like LibGen. The big picture: While a California judge ruled in June that Anthropic's use of the books constituted "fair use," he found that the company's method of acquiring works through piracy sites was illegal, leaving Anthropic vulnerable...
read Aug 22, 2025They think, therefore they aren’t: Microsoft AI chief warns against giving AI systems rights or citizenship
Microsoft's CEO of artificial intelligence, Mustafa Suleyman, has warned against advocating for AI rights, model welfare, or AI citizenship in a recent blog post. Suleyman argues that treating AI systems as conscious entities represents "a dangerous turn in AI progress" that could lead people to develop unhealthy relationships with technology and undermine the proper development of AI tools designed to serve humans. What you should know: Suleyman believes the biggest risk comes from people developing genuine beliefs that AI systems are conscious beings deserving of moral consideration. "Simply put, my central worry is that many people will start to believe...
read Aug 21, 2025Supreme Court justice Kagan praises Claude AI for “exceptional” legal analysis
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan recently praised Anthropic's Claude chatbot for providing "exceptional" analysis of a complex Constitutional dispute involving the Confrontation Clause. Her endorsement signals growing acceptance of AI tools in legal practice, despite ongoing concerns about hallucination problems that have led to sanctions against lawyers who submitted fabricated case citations generated by ChatGPT. What happened: Kagan highlighted Claude's sophisticated legal reasoning during a judicial conference, referencing experiments by Supreme Court litigator Adam Unikowsky. Unikowsky used Claude 3.5 Sonnet to analyze the Court's majority and dissenting opinions in Smith v. Arizona, a Confrontation Clause case where Kagan authored the...
read Aug 18, 2025Lawsuit accuses Otter.ai of secretly recording 25M users for AI training
A federal class-action lawsuit filed against Otter.ai accuses the popular AI transcription service of secretly recording and processing millions of users' private conversations without proper consent to train its artificial intelligence systems. The suit, filed in California federal court, alleges that Otter's default settings allow it to record virtual meetings without alerting all participants, potentially violating state and federal privacy and wiretapping laws. What you should know: The lawsuit centers on Otter Notebook's automatic recording capabilities during virtual meetings across major platforms. Plaintiff Justin Brewer of San Jacinto, California claims his privacy was "severely invaded" when Otter secretly recorded a...
read Aug 15, 2025Australian lawyers submit AI-generated fake citations in murder trial
Australian lawyers Rishi Nathwani and Amelia Beech were caught submitting AI-generated documents riddled with fabricated citations and misquoted speeches in a murder case involving a 16-year-old defendant. The incident forced a Melbourne Supreme Court judge to intervene after the prosecution unknowingly built arguments based on the AI-generated misinformation, highlighting how artificial intelligence hallucinations can cascade through the legal system with potentially devastating consequences. What happened: The defense team used generative AI to create court documents that contained multiple fabricated references and errors, which went undetected by prosecutors who used the false information to develop their own arguments.• When confronted in...
read Aug 12, 2025Lawyers who master AI prompting are outpacing peers in speed and efficiency
The legal profession stands at a crossroads with artificial intelligence. While industry leaders warn that lawyers must adapt or risk obsolescence, the reality is more nuanced than wholesale replacement. AI is fundamentally reshaping how legal professionals deliver value and the speed at which they operate. The lawyers making the biggest impact today understand how to guide artificial intelligence with precision and control. This shift represents more than just adopting new technology—it requires developing an entirely new professional skill set, much like the difference between walking and driving a vehicle. The transformation in practice Consider the evolution happening in real-time within...
read Aug 11, 2025Legal scholar proposes “right to delete” dead relatives’ digital data
Legal scholar Victoria Haneman is proposing that families of deceased individuals should have the right to delete their loved ones' digital data to prevent AI-powered "digital resurrection." Her argument, published in the Boston College Law Review, addresses a growing concern as AI technology increasingly enables the recreation of dead people's voices, personalities, and likenesses without family consent. Why this matters: Current privacy and publicity laws offer inadequate protection against unauthorized AI recreation of deceased individuals, leaving families vulnerable to potentially distressing digital resurrections of their loved ones. The legal gaps: Existing laws fail to address AI-based recreation of the deceased...
read Aug 11, 2025The AI will take your statement now: Jersey police streamline witness interviews and boost forensics
Jersey police have successfully integrated artificial intelligence into their crime-fighting operations, with AI-powered tools now helping transcribe witness interviews and enhance digital forensics capabilities. The States of Jersey Police Authority's annual report highlights how these technological advances are delivering "long-term efficiencies and enhanced decision-making" while maintaining human oversight of all AI-assisted processes. What you should know: The Jersey police force began testing AI transcription technology in March to streamline witness interview processing and improve operational efficiency. Police Chief Robin Smith emphasized that while AI promises enhanced capabilities, all processes remain under human supervision to ensure accuracy and accountability. The technology...
read Aug 11, 2025Pot calling kettle AI-generated: Midjourney claims studios use AI while suing for copyright
Midjourney has filed its first legal response to a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by Disney and Universal Studios, arguing that AI training on copyrighted works constitutes protected "fair use" under copyright law. The AI image generation startup is pushing back against claims of "vast, intentional, and unrelenting copyright infringement," while accusing the entertainment giants of hypocrisy for using AI tools themselves while simultaneously seeking to restrict AI training practices. The big picture: This case represents a pivotal moment in the ongoing legal battle over AI training rights, with Midjourney challenging the studios' ability to control how their copyrighted content is...
read Aug 11, 2025California user sues Microsoft as Windows 10 ends with 240M PCs unable to upgrade
A California Windows 10 user is suing Microsoft for ending support for the operating system while nearly half of all desktop users still rely on it. Lawrence Klein argues that Microsoft's decision forces customers to buy new hardware optimized for AI features like Copilot, with an estimated 240 million computers unable to run Windows 11. What you should know: Klein owns two Windows 10 laptops that can't upgrade to Windows 11 and claims Microsoft is pushing users toward AI-enabled devices through forced obsolescence.• The lawsuit states that "Microsoft's decision to discontinue support for Windows 10 while most of its consumer...
read Aug 11, 2025US judges adopt AI for legal research despite mounting errors
US federal judges are increasingly experimenting with generative AI to help with legal research, case summaries, and routine orders, despite recent high-profile mistakes where AI-generated errors went undetected in court rulings. The trend highlights a growing tension between judicial efficiency and accountability, as judges face fewer consequences than lawyers when AI mistakes slip through—yet their errors carry the force of law. The big picture: While lawyers have faced sanctions and embarrassment for submitting AI-generated briefs with fabricated cases, judges are now making similar mistakes with far greater consequences. In June, a Georgia appellate court judge issued an order relying on...
read Aug 9, 2025Condos with filters? Real estate agents use AI to fake property photos, sparking legal concerns
Real estate agents are increasingly using AI-generated images to enhance property listings, often creating misleading representations of homes that can dramatically differ from reality. The practice has sparked outrage from prospective buyers and raised legal concerns about false advertising in an industry already struggling with trust issues. What you should know: The Register, a UK technology publication, uncovered a property listing featuring an AI-generated image that showed structural elements and landscaping that didn't exist in the actual home. The manipulated photo included misaligned awnings, hedges that morphed into walls, and a flowerbed blocking a neighboring door that wasn't present in...
read Aug 8, 2025Anthropic faces $1T mother of all copyright lawsuits that could reshape AI training
A federal appeals court is being urged to block the largest copyright class action ever certified against an AI company, with Anthropic facing up to $1 trillion in potential damages from 7 million claimants over its AI training practices. Industry groups warn that the lawsuit could "financially ruin" the entire AI sector and force companies into massive settlements rather than allowing courts to resolve fundamental questions about AI training legality. What you should know: Anthropic, a leading AI company, is challenging a district court's certification of a class action involving up to 7 million book authors whose works were allegedly...
read Aug 7, 2025Magician, heal thyself: Midjourney claims Disney hypocrisy amid AI company lawsuits
Midjourney has filed its first legal response to Disney and Universal's copyright infringement lawsuit, arguing that AI training constitutes protected "fair use" and accusing the studios of hypocrisy. The AI image platform's defense centers on claims that the entertainment giants are simultaneously using AI tools while seeking to restrict others from the same technology, potentially setting a precedent for how courts will balance AI innovation against traditional copyright protections. What you should know: Midjourney's legal team is mounting a comprehensive fair use defense while highlighting the studios' own AI usage. The company argues that "copyright law does not confer absolute...
read Jul 28, 2025Stealth mode, indeed: Meta sued for torrenting 2,396 adult videos to train AI
Adult entertainment company Strike 3 Holdings has filed a lawsuit alleging that Meta pirated and distributed pornographic content for years to accelerate AI training data downloads through BitTorrent networks. The lawsuit claims Meta used a "tit-for-tat" strategy of seeding popular adult videos to gain faster access to massive datasets, potentially exposing minors to explicit content without age verification while hiding its piracy activities through stealth networks. What you should know: Strike 3 Holdings alleges Meta has been torrenting and seeding copyrighted adult videos since at least 2018 as part of its AI training data collection strategy.• The company claims to...
read Jul 28, 2025Spanish teen investigated for selling AI deepfake nudes of sixteen classmates
Spanish police are investigating a 17-year-old boy for allegedly using artificial intelligence to create and sell deepfake nude images of female classmates in Valencia. Sixteen young women from the same educational institute reported that AI-generated naked images of them were circulating on social media, highlighting a growing trend of non-consensual deepfake abuse targeting minors in Spain. What you should know: The investigation began after a teenage girl reported in December that AI-generated videos and fake photos showing her "completely naked" were posted on a social media account created under her name. Photos of various people, all of them minors, appeared...
read Jul 25, 2025Indian filmmaker sues over AI-altered movie ending in creative rights battle
A dispute between Eros International and filmmaker Aanand L. Rai over the studio's AI-altered re-release of the 2013 film "Raanjhanaa" has escalated into a broader confrontation about creative rights and artificial intelligence in Indian cinema. The controversy centers on Eros's decision to use AI to create an alternate ending for the Tamil version of the romantic drama, transforming its tragic conclusion into a happier one without the director's knowledge or consent, setting what industry observers view as a potentially precedent-setting case for filmmaker rights in the AI era. What you should know: Eros International, a major Indian film studio, announced...
read Jul 25, 2025Survey: 96% of lawyers say AI helps meet business goals while reducing burnout
There are Gen Z-ers who are already lawyers! With that said: A recent study of 800 attorneys reveals that artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing not just how lawyers work, but why they find their profession meaningful, with 96 percent reporting AI helps them meet business goals more efficiently and 76 percent saying it directly improves their burnout levels. The research, commissioned by Ironclad, a legal technology company, shows younger attorneys are leading this transformation, using AI to shift from perfectionist-driven work cultures toward more strategic, purposeful legal practice. The big picture: AI is reshaping legal work beyond simple automation, serving...
read Jul 25, 2025Anthropic faces $1.5B lawsuit over AI training on pirated books
A federal judge in San Francisco has certified a class action lawsuit against Anthropic on behalf of nearly every US book author whose works were used to train the company's AI models, marking the first time a US court has allowed such a case to proceed in the generative AI context. The ruling exposes Anthropic to potentially catastrophic damages that could exceed $1 billion and threaten the company's survival, despite its recent $100 billion valuation target. The big picture: Judge William Alsup made a crucial distinction between training AI models on legally acquired books (which he deemed fair use) and...
read Jul 25, 2025Due diligence reveals undue intelligence as federal judge withdraws ruling due to AI-like errors
A New Jersey federal judge has withdrawn his decision in a pharmaceutical securities case after lawyers identified fabricated quotes and false case citations in his ruling — errors that mirror the hallucination patterns commonly seen in AI-generated legal content. The withdrawal highlights growing concerns about artificial intelligence's reliability in legal research, as attorneys increasingly turn to tools like ChatGPT despite their tendency to generate convincing but inaccurate information. What happened: Judge Julien Xavier Neals pulled his decision denying CorMedix's lawsuit dismissal request after attorney Andrew Lichtman identified a "series of errors" in the ruling. The opinion contained misstated outcomes from...
read Jul 23, 2025Mimic mindset: Tony Robbins sues AI chatbot platform for $10M over unauthorized clones
You can't achieve it if you disbelieve it. "It" being a replica of the real thing. Motivational speaker Tony Robbins has filed a federal lawsuit against YesChat, accusing the AI chatbot platform of creating unauthorized bots that mimic his persona and sell access to his copyrighted content. The case represents the first known legal challenge by a celebrity against AI chatbot replicas, setting a potential precedent for how public figures can protect their digital likeness and intellectual property in the AI era. What you should know: Robbins discovered multiple unauthorized bots on YesChat using his name and trademark, including "Talk...
read Jul 22, 2025“God this is nuts.” Florida police wrongfully arrest man using 93% AI facial recognition match.
Police in Florida wrongfully arrested Robert Dillon based on a 93% facial recognition match, charging him with attempting to lure a 12-year-old child despite his complete innocence. The case highlights growing concerns about AI-powered policing tools that lack constitutional probable cause standards and enable law enforcement agencies to avoid accountability through jurisdictional buck-passing. What happened: The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and Jacksonville Beach Police Department used facial recognition software to identify Dillon as a suspect in a November 2023 child luring case, leading to his arrest in August 2024. AI software flagged Dillon as a "93 percent match" to surveillance footage...
read