Welfare and Institutions Code Section 15610.70

As the New York Times reported in December, “ChatGPT is, quite simply, the best artificial intelligence chatbot ever released to the general public.” Built by OpenAI, a San Francisco-based company, ChatGPT has grabbed headlines over the last two months.

Artificial intelligence, including chatbots, has myriad applications in the practice of law. AI no doubt will generate extensive online content readily visible when lawyers and litigants conduct quick online research using search engines like Google. How good, then, is the current version of ChatGPT? I asked the chatbot to write a post about undue influence, a common issue in California trust and estate litigation and the subject of many Trust on Trial posts.

A recent decision from the California Court of Appeal shows a continued split of authority as to the meaning of California Probate Code section 859, which allows doubles damages for the wrongful taking of property under specified circumstances.

In Keading v. Keading (2021) 60 Cal.App.5th 1115, the Court of Appeal ruled that a