ChatGPT Fabricated a Sexual Harassment Case Against a Real Law Professor — With a Fake News Article as a Citation

In April 2023, attorney Eugene Volokh asked ChatGPT to name law professors who had committed sexual harassment. The AI provided a detailed account of a fake harassment case involving Jonathan Turley, a real and prominent George Washington University law professor — complete with a fabricated Washington Post article as its source. The article didn't exist. Turley had never been accused of anything. When confronted, ChatGPT doubled down before eventually admitting the citation was made up. Turley said the experience showed how AI could silently destroy real people's reputations with fabricated 'evidence' that looked authoritative to anyone not checking closely.