It can’t happen to me? – OR -- My AI went to a better law school than I did?

https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/14/attorneys_cite_cases_hallucinated_ai/

Lawyers face judge's wrath after AI cites made-up cases in fiery hoverboard lawsuit

Demonstrating yet again that uncritically trusting the output of generative AI is dangerous, attorneys involved in a product liability lawsuit have apologized to the presiding judge for submitting documents that cite non-existent legal cases.

The lawsuit began with a complaint filed in June, 2023, against Walmart and Jetson Electric Bikes over a fire allegedly caused by a hoverboard [PDF]. The blaze destroyed the plaintiffs' house and caused serious burns to family members, it is said.

Last week, Wyoming District Judge Kelly Rankin issued an order to show cause [PDF] that directs the plaintiffs' attorneys to explain why they should not be sanctioned for citing eight cases that do not exist in a January 22, 2025 filing.

Perspective.

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2025/02/ai-and-civil-service-purges.html

AI and Civil Service Purges

Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s chaotic approach to reform is upending government operations. Critical functions have been halted, tens of thousands of federal staffers are being encouraged to resign, and congressional mandates are being disregarded. The next phase: The Department of Government Efficiency reportedly wants to use AI to cut costs. According to The Washington Post, Musk’s group has started to run sensitive data from government systems through AI programs to analyze spending and determine what could be pruned. This may lead to the elimination of human jobs in favor of automation. As one government official who has been tracking Musk’s DOGE team told the Post, the ultimate aim is to use AI to replace “the human workforce with machines.” (Spokespeople for the White House and DOGE did not respond to requests for comment.)

Using AI to make government more efficient is a worthy pursuit, and this is not a new idea. The Biden administration disclosed more than 2,000 AI applications in development across the federal government. For example, FEMA has started using AI to help perform damage assessment in disaster areas. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has started using AI to look for fraudulent billing. The idea of replacing dedicated and principled civil servants with AI agents, however, is new—and complicated.

(Related)

https://www.bespacific.com/the-venn-diagram-of-trumps-authoritarian-actions/

The Venn Diagram of Trump’s Authoritarian Actions

Kottke.org:  Professor Christina Pagel of University College London has mapped the actions of the Trump administration’s first few weeks into a Venn diagram (above) with “five broad domains that correspond to features of proto-authoritarian states”:

• Undermining Democratic Institutions & Rule of Law; Dismantling federal government

• Dismantling Social Protections & Rights; Enrichment & Corruption

• Suppressing Dissent & Controlling Information

• Attacking Science, Environment, Health, Arts & Education

• Aggressive Foreign Policy & Global Destabilization

This diagram is available as a PDF and the information is also contained in this categorized table. Links and commentary from Pagel can be found on Bluesky as well. Also very helpful is this list of authoritarian actions that the Trump administration has taken, each with a link to the relevant news story. I will be referring back to this list often in the coming weeks.”