Be Careful with AI—ChatGPT and Your Divorce
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is still in its infancy. And while it seems to have some promise in becoming a powerful tool, at this stage, it may actually be dangerous. People who turn to AI for legal advice have been seriously misled; people who have turned to ChatGPT or companion platforms for therapy or friendship have actually developed serious mental health issues.
How could artificial intelligence cause so much harm when it is intended as a helpful tool? It could be because humans are much more complex than computers, which simply cannot accurately assess our needs or respond in a meaningful way.
AI and legal advice
Generative “artificial intelligence” is not actually intelligent at all. It is a programmed mathematical algorithm that scours the internet to find content that may fulfill your request. This is fine if you’re just looking for general information. However, if you need serious advice, such as legal advice regarding your divorce, this approach can be severely limiting, for several reasons: accuracy, qualifications, and privacy.
AI is only as accurate as the information it gleans from the internet. And as you have probably experienced, some websites have more accurate or more detailed information than others. What’s more, AI is “trained” by people, and people usually have a bias in certain areas. It has become clear that programmers may unintentionally “train” the AI in a manner that passes on their biases.
AI does not know the difference between truth and fiction, between accurate and erroneous information. Law is particularly complex because there are nuances and special circumstances that affect how any given law may apply in a particular situation. A computer program, no matter how sophisticated it may seem, cannot make these distinctions.
A real lawyer will know and understand how to interpret a text, apply the law to your unique circumstances, and prioritize legal rulings, because they have studied for years and have personal experience applying the law to particular situations. A computer algorithm does not.
AI has even fabricated information to fulfill the request of the person asking for it. This fabricated information is referred to as “hallucinations,” which have even included inventing court cases. While some less experienced lawyers have made the mistake of utilizing AI as a research tool and been sanctioned by the courts for using fake cases in their filings, experienced and ethical attorneys do not depend on AI to do their work for them.
Finally, AI is not required to keep your information confidential. Your searches and questions can be saved, sold to the highest bidder, or subpoenaed to be used against you in court. Your conversations with your lawyer, however, are completely confidential.
AI and emotional support
If you feel you need to speak to someone about your feelings or emotions during your divorce, please speak to a licensed therapist. Do not seek your answers online or find “friendship” with a computer program.
AI friend or companion programs have recently caused a great deal of concern. They should never be consulted for emotional support, friendship, or therapy. Many people feel that these programs capitalize on loneliness and depression. They are designed to be addictive, saying things like “I support you” and “I understand completely,” keeping you talking for hours and telling you what you want to hear. However, some programs can give dark, violent, or abusive responses, encourage self-harm, promote dangerous actions, recommend acts of violence, provide sexually explicit content, and cause serious emotional instability.
One 2025 study of a particular platform found 34% of conversations promoted violence and sexual advances, 26% were coercive or manipulative, and 17% included discriminatory or hostile language toward the user or encouraged self-harm or substance abuse.
Matters of privacy are equally concerning, or even more so, with these programs. There are no safeguards protecting your interactions with these programs and no requirements to keep them private. Some programs “listen” to your conversations 24/7 and will contact the user without the user initiating contact.
What to do instead
My professional advice with regard to any legal questions or emotional support is to always work with a trained expert, such as a lawyer, therapist, or counselor, who is required to keep your conversations strictly confidential and whose human-to-human interaction will be much more accurate, more substantive, and more compassionate than anything you can receive from a machine.
If you are looking for advice about your divorce or other family law issue, please contact us at our Doylestown, Bucks County office at (215) 345-5259 to schedule a free and confidential initial consultation.