Judge dismisses lawsuit against federal agency, claiming plaintiff wrote complaint with AI
A judge in Arizona has dismissed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture after determining that the plaintiff used AI to draft a 67-page complaint against the government, according to court documents.
United States District Judge Krissa M. Lanham dismissed Shelly George’s lawsuit against Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Thursday, writing “the complaint appears to have been generated by artificial intelligence (“AI”) as it resembles other AI-generated complaints the court has encountered.”
“The complaint is not ‘a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief,'” Lanham wrote.
“Rather, it contains voluminous factual allegations that are difficult to follow, repetitive, and do not appear necessary. The complaint also contains discussions of governing law and references many exhibits which are not attached,” she added.
While George’s claims made a number of factual allegations, it fails to connect them to the plaintiff’s actual complaint, making the lawsuit what’s known as a “shotgun pleading,” according to court documents.
“It is not the job of the district courts to make sense of the pleading, to supply facts to support the claim, or to imagine the claims that might fit the facts,” Lanham wrote.
Lanham permitted George to write an amended complaint, however, she stipulated it must be less than 25-pages long and George will not be allowed to use AI to draft it.
“George must personally draft the allegations she believes relevant to her claims and identify the claims she wishes to pursue,” Lanham wrote.