A former traffic controller, Emmanual Tischler, has lost his unfair dismissal case after utilizing Google AI to assist in his appeal. Tischler was terminated by Avada Traffic for a series of alleged safety and behavioral incidents. The Fair Work Commission rejected his application, citing procedural fairness and valid reasons for dismissal.
Commissioner Chris Simpson found that Tischler had been afforded reasonable opportunities to respond to the allegations, which included entering private property without authorization and leaving his post to scout for a church hall. The commission also heard client complaints about Tischler making female staff uncomfortable and maintaining excessive proximity while they were working.
Further allegations detailed in the case involved Tischler allegedly urinating into a bottle on a previous jobsite and later urinating against a tree during duties. Following his dismissal, Tischler was also accused of harassing staff, clients, and senior managers via email and phone calls despite requests to cease contact.
Tischler appealed the initial decision in May 2026, initially representing himself. His first appeal notice was deemed to contain several brief paragraphs that did not advance any coherent contention of error. A revised notice of appeal, generated with the assistance of Google AI, was also rejected.
The appeal panel noted that the revised grounds contained obvious errors typical of AI-generated applications, including the misuse of legal terminology and mistaking the commissioner's summary of evidence as official findings. The panel concluded that there was no apparent basis to doubt the correctness of the original commissioner's findings.
Tischler, who had worked for Avada Traffic for six years, stated that he was finding it difficult to secure other employment due to the allegations made against him.