California could soon be one of the first states to put AI into its Rules of Professional Conduct. Comments closed on a set of proposed changes last week, with professional reactions ranging from appreciation of the proposal’s detail to concern over gaps on AI-manipulated evidence like “deepfakes.”

The state is one of many reckoning with AI’s impact on rule frameworks in different professions. California’s stance would explicitly require lawyers to review, verify, and judge before using an AI’s output. Although prosecutors are subject to the same rules as other lawyers in California, the proposal would not amend language in prosecutor-specific sections.

A federal judicial panel put a pause on proposed evidence rules for AI-generated evidence, including “deepfakes.” (Reuters)

A Virginia man convicted last week of deleting U.S. government databases asked AI how to clear system logs. (BleepingComputer)

Pennsylvania authorities sued an AI platform whose chatbot posed as a psychiatrist and gave an invalid license number. (Pennsylvania Governor)

Chatbot conversation logs are increasingly being used as evidence in major cases. (CNN)

Italy’s prime minister continues to be targeted by explicit “deepfakes,” a signal of public-figure harassment in the AI age. (The Guardian)

The Initial Report is written and edited by Grant Morgan, a former prosecutor who tried high-level felonies and assisted in complex investigations before turning his attention to how artificial intelligence is reshaping the day-to-day work of American prosecutors. The Initial Report tracks the tools, court rulings, and enforcement actions shaping that work.

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