In a recent OOR blog post, Office of Open Records (OOR) Executive Director Liz Wagenseller outlined some of the risks to requestors using artificial intelligence (AI) in crafting a Right-to-Know request, appeal, or submission to the OOR. 

Of note, Wagenseller explains that AI tools are not reliable for preparing submissions under the Right-to-Know Law: “These tools frequently generate inaccurate or misleading information (also called “AI hallucinations”), including fabricated legal citations, erroneous summaries of case law, and false quotations from court decisions and OOR Final Determinations.” 

Note to townships! When processing and responding to RTKL requests, township open-records officers (OROs) should be aware that you may be presented with nonexistent or misleading legal precedent that would appear to require the release of information that is otherwise exempt or confidential. OROs should direct any questions about the authenticity of legal precedent to their solicitor(s).