A US federal judge has sharply criticised three lawyers for submitting court filings allegedly filled with AI-generated arguments while representing an Indian national convicted of voting-related offences. The judge described the filings as "blatant AI slop" and warned that the attorneys could face sanctions.
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According to a Business Insider report, US District Judge Mark Pittman made the remarks in a November 4 order rejecting Khalwinder Singh Bhengura's request to be released from custody ahead of sentencing.
Bhengura, a 70-year-old Indian national and lawful permanent US resident, was convicted on October 27 of falsely claiming American citizenship to register to vote and illegally voting in the 2024 federal election.
According to the US Department of Justice , his sentencing is scheduled for February 11, 2027.
His lawyers, Mario Herrera, Nicole Knox and Vincent Rene Carrizales, sought his immediate release, arguing that sentencing guidelines recommending zero to six months' imprisonment justified ending his pre-sentence detention.
The motion acknowledged that portions had been prepared "with the assistance of a generative artificial intelligence tool".
However, Pittman rejected the reasoning, calling it "an abysmal reading of the statute".
The judge's criticism was also reported by Bloomberg Law , which cited Pittman's November 4 order questioning the lawyers' reliance on artificial intelligence in their court filings.
"Defendant's citation is lazy lawyering and a prime example of the inherent dangers of lawyers relying on artificial intelligence to draft their briefs," the judge wrote.
He also expressed sympathy for prosecutors dealing with what he described as "defense by ChatGPT".
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Pittman questioned the lawyers' professional competence and warned that further unnecessary filings could result in sanctions, including restrictions on practising law in the Northern District of Texas.
"The Court is exhausted by these antics," he wrote.
Although the judge indicated that sanctions were warranted, he said scheduling constraints prevented a hearing before Thanksgiving.
The attorneys rejected the criticism, maintaining that using AI-assisted drafting tools did not violate court rules.
"We have nothing to hide. AI could never create our novel approach to the argument presented," Knox told Business Insider.
Herrera also defended the filings, saying he had personally written, reviewed and finalised them.
"None of those issues were frivolous," he said, arguing that judicial disagreement did not amount to professional misconduct.
Mahipal Singh Chouhan is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times Digital, with nearly five years of experience in digital journalism and content production. He primarily covers offbeat, trending and human-interest stories, with a focus on emerging social media trends, online conversations and real-world incidents that capture public attention. At Hindustan Times, Mahipal works on identifying and developing fast-moving digital stories, adding context and journalistic perspective to viral moments while maintaining accuracy, clarity and readability for online audiences. Before joining Hindustan Times Digital, he was associated with DNA India, where he gained experience in newsroom workflows and digital storytelling. He holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies, Delhi. Beyond journalism, he has a keen interest in history and sports and enjoys expanding his general knowledge. Read More