Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, the ex-Fugees rapper, is requesting a new trial after being convicted of foreign lobbying charges. He claims that his former lawyer used unproven artificial intelligence (AI) tools to craft closing arguments due to an alleged undisclosed financial stake in the company selling these tools.
In a filing in D.C. federal court, Michel stated that his attorney, David Kenner, failed to provide effective counsel during the trial, outsourcing preparation work to inexperienced contract attorneys and neglecting to object to damaging testimony. Most notably, Michel accused Kenner of using an “experimental artificial intelligence program” to create flawed closing arguments, alleging that Kenner had a hidden financial interest in the company and intended to use Michel’s trial to promote it.
Michel was convicted on 10 counts in April, including conspiracy, witness tampering, and failure to register as an agent of China. His new lawyers argue that Kenner’s focus on promoting the AI program rather than zealously defending Michel resulted in an unreliable verdict.
Kenner has not yet commented on these allegations.
Source: Billboard