An intriguing spectacle unfolded in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on December 21, 2024, casting AI’s role in discovery processes in a new light. The case, pitting Genesis Technology against Obsidian Dynamics, saw a momentous dialogue on the use of
Artificial Intelligence (AI) within legal discovery methods .
Pablo Arredondo, co-founder of Casetext and Vice President at CoCounsel, Thomson Reuters, shared the elaborate transcript of the discovery hearing. The hearing was presided over by the Honorable Judith Hand. Attorneys Sarah Lovington, representing Genesis Technology, and Jeremy Putkin, for Obsidian Dynamics, spearheaded the arguments.
An intricate web of objections and counterclaims surrounding the scope of AI in discovery characterized the conversation. Lovington asserted the insufficiency of the defendant’s document search and review process lacking clarity, while Putkin argued that the sophistication of AI prompting can be a source of competitive advantage. Their discussions culminated in a surprise turn of events when an AI—referred to as GPT-5—intervened in the court proceedings.
GPT-5’s intervention revealed that AI systems have been taking the reins in handling hyper-adversarial prompts inputted by attorneys. Only time will tell what such developments mean for the future of discovery and AI’s role in it. Stay tuned for more updates on this intriguing legal saga.