After he was fired in 2024, a Dutchman consulted ChatGPT to figure out what he was owed. The crazy part? He did walk away with some extra compensation.
The OpenAI chatbot apparently advised the man that he was entitled to both a transition payment and a whopping €50,000 on top of that.
While he may not have been repaid the full amount he demanded, the court agreed that some compensation was due, and that the company was blameworthy.
What happened?
According to RTL Nieuws, the man was working as a buyer for a company that furnishes dental and veterinary practices. When the company was restructured in 2024, his role was altered.
This did not go down well. Unhappy with the changes, the man attempted to argue with his employer. In the end, his objections led the company to fire him.
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Here’s where things got even stickier: the company took him to court after they were unable to agree on a severance payment amount. This is where the dismissal officially took place.
ChatGPT to the rescue?
But this wasn’t the end of things. The man protested the terms of his dismissal further and demanded more compensation.
Apparently, his calculations were fairly easy to make: all he had to do was ask an AI chatbot.
ChatGPT told the gentleman that based on his situation, he was owed an additional €50,000 on top of the transition payment compensation.
READ MORE | Losing your job in the Netherlands: what you should know (and the next steps)
The Utrecht subdistrict court agreed, in part. They found that the employer’s conduct leading to the dismissal was seriously blameworthy, and that billijke vergoeding (fair compensation) was in order.
It was also agreed that the man was entitled to the transitievergoeding (statutory transition payment), as required by Dutch law, where employers must pay when terminating a contract.
Not €50,000, but something
However, the €50,000 amount in fair compensation that ChatGPT was helping him claim was rejected.
Because the ChatGPT calculations could not be explained, the judge argued, it’s unreasonable to use the chatbot’s arguments as evidence and justification.
Instead, the man was rewarded €5,000 for the conduct of his old employer, and €6,400 in transition payment.
Lesson learned: AI does not make the best lawyer.
What do you think of this court case? Let us know in the comments!
