AI-generated evidence is showing up in court. Judges say they're not ready.
2025-11-18
NBC News
The information displayed in the AIM should not be reported as representing the official views of the OECD or of its member countries.
In a California housing dispute, lawyers submitted AI-generated deepfake video as evidence, which was detected by Judge Victoria Kolakowski due to unnatural facial and vocal features. The judge dismissed the case, highlighting growing concerns among U.S. judges about AI-generated evidence undermining the integrity of the judicial process.[AI generated]
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The article explicitly involves AI systems (generative AI producing deepfake videos and audio) whose use in court evidence has directly caused harm by threatening the authenticity and reliability of judicial evidence, which is a violation of legal rights and undermines the justice system. The Mendones case is a concrete example where AI-generated evidence was submitted and detected, leading to case dismissal. The judges' concerns and the described harms fit the definition of an AI Incident, as the AI system's use has directly led to harm to rights and the judicial process. The article is not merely about potential future harm or general AI news but documents realized harm and ongoing incidents involving AI deepfakes in courts.[AI generated]