● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 negative
Expert Witness Used ChatGPT to Draft Report Defending 3M in Deadly Explosion Lawsuit
Key points
- Expert witness for 3M used ChatGPT to write parts of his report.
- Prompts instructed ChatGPT to defend 3M and claim "0% at fault."
- The AI use was discovered during the legal discovery process.
- The case involves a 2020 explosion that killed three people.
AI Use in Expert Testimony Revealed
An expert witness, Josh Autenrieth of Knighthawk Engineering, hired by 3M in a lawsuit related to a deadly 2020 explosion, utilized ChatGPT to generate substantial sections of his expert report. The prompts used by Autenrieth were made public, revealing instructions to the AI to "create an exceptional expert witness report defending the standard of care at 3M" and to "show how 3M is 0% at fault for the explosion at Watson Grinding."
Context of the Lawsuit
The lawsuit stems from a 2020 explosion at Watson Grinding, a manufacturing facility in Houston, which resulted in three deaths and destroyed approximately 200 homes. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board attributed the explosion to a degraded rubber welding hose that leaked flammable gas. Plaintiffs allege that 3M failed to properly service the facility’s gas detection system and made other errors contributing to the incident.
Discovery of AI-Generated Content
During the discovery phase of the case, plaintiff's attorney Will Moye identified a five-page document, "Citation Overlay," as potentially AI-generated. Moye subsequently requested all prompts used by Autenrieth, leading to the disclosure of 350 pages of ChatGPT conversations that Autenrieth had during the creation of his report. This incident demonstrates that specific AI prompts can be discoverable in legal cases.
Implications for Legal Proceedings
This case illustrates the expanding role of artificial intelligence in courtrooms, now extending to expert witness testimonies, in addition to AI-generated legal briefings and other applications. The discoverability of prompts and the potential for embarrassment highlight new challenges and ethical considerations for legal professionals and expert witnesses using AI tools in high-stakes litigation.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
The daily brief
One email each morning: the day's tech stories, clustered across outlets and summarized. No account needed.
One email a day. Unsubscribe in one click, any time.
Today's brief
Spend a few minutes, get the whole day. Every topic's top stories in one hands-free rundown — listen, watch, or read the transcript.
▶ Play today's brief
New every morning, and the back catalogue is archived by date.
Reporting from
An expert witness hired by 3M in a lawsuit concerning a fatal 2020 explosion used ChatGPT to write significant portions of his expert report, including prompts asking the AI to defend 3M and state it was "0% at fault." This incident highlights the increasing presence of AI in legal proceedings, extending beyond AI-generated briefings to expert testimonies, and raises concerns about the discoverability and potential embarrassment of AI prompts in court cases.