LSU head football coach Lane Kiffin reportedly turned to artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT for legal guidance when attempting to add former Ole Miss players Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris to the Tigers' roster. Both players had already signed professional contracts, a detail that triggered a significant dispute between LSU and the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
Attorney Tom Mars, a friend of Kiffin, shared in a report by ESPN that Kiffin frequently sent him screenshots from ChatGPT to support LSU's position on the matter. "Usually, when I would express an opinion about what LSU was doing, Lane would reply with a screenshot from ChatGPT that supported LSU's position, which was almost always wrong," Mars stated. He added that Kiffin eventually backed down from the attempt to add the players and that Kiffin likely will not use ChatGPT for legal advice in the future.
Mars also advised Kiffin, who has a substantial contract, to retain legal counsel rather than rely on AI for such critical decisions. The situation ultimately resulted in LSU not adding the players, averting a more severe confrontation with the SEC that had been described as intense.