Annapolis “Accused of AI Fabrication in Legal Filing,” City Attorney Fired (but Maybe Not Because of That)

From the Capital Gazette (Katharine Wilson):

Annapolis Mayor Jared Littmann fired City Attorney D. Michael Lyles, effective immediately, as part of his effort to clear the way for a new administration, Littmann said Wednesday.

The firing comes a day after plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis and the City of Annapolis accused the city’s counsel of including fabricated citations and quotes in a motion, which they called “hallmarks” of artificial intelligence use.

Lyles is the first major departure since the mayor took office Dec. 1…. However, the mayor said in an interview that his decision to end Lyles’ employment was “unrelated to any particular legal case,” and that he is looking for a city attorney with a “fresh perspective.” …

Thanks to Michael Smith for the pointer.