AI ‘gone awry’ made up case law, a Manitoba court says. Justice experts say it highlights a lack of access
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/legal-cases-ai-hallucinations-9.7252684
Publish Date: 2026-06-30 06:00:00
Source Domain: www.cbc.ca
- A Manitoba woman unsuccessfully appealed a foreclosure ruling, but her filing misquoted and sometimes relied on nonexistent case law, likely generated by AI.
- Similar instances of generative AI “hallucinating” fake case law have occurred in other provinces, indicating a broader issue in Canada.
- The majority of cases involving AI-generated false case law are brought by self-represented individuals, likely due to the ease of using AI chatbots and barriers to access professional legal services.
- The problem highlights challenges with access to justice, where individuals turn to AI due to limited resources like Legal Aid and the rising costs of hiring legal professionals.
- Experts argue there is a strain on legal resources both for lawyers who must verify AI-generated information and for courts dealing with unnecessary case verifications.
- Manitoba courts have taken steps to address AI misuse, including requiring disclosure of AI use in documents, but experts believe more education is needed for the public to understand the risks of using unreliable AI-generated case law.
