Judge reveals Gemma O'Doherty used AI to prepare legal case as her appeal is dismissed

Ms Justice Caroline Costello said Ms O’Doherty used AI to prepare her written submissions that included 'hallucinations' of non-existent cases

Gemma O'Doherty (pictured) was seeking to strike out defamation proceedings brought against her by Jimmy Guerin, a councillor and brother of murdered journalist Veronica Guerin. File picture: Brian Lawless/PA

Litigants should inform their opponents and the court if they have used artificial intelligence (AI) to prepare their legal papers, the Court of Appeal has said, as it dismissed an appeal by activist Gemma O’Doherty citing authorities that “simply did not exist”.

Ms Justice Caroline Costello, writing for the three-judge court, said journalist Gemma O’Doherty, who did not have lawyers representing her, used AI to prepare her written submissions that included “hallucinations” of non-existent cases.