Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen: Cop Used ChatGPT in Probe

The ongoing legal saga between Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen has taken another bizarre turn, as a Utah police officer turned to ChatGPT for help during an investigation. The incident has sparked debate about the appropriate use of artificial intelligence in law enforcement.

On June 5, Dakota and his roommate Timothy Cru Eaton called police, claiming that Taylor had allegedly hired a private investigator to follow him, potentially violating a protective order that prohibits her from directly or indirectly stalking him. Officer Chad Cady of the Bluffdale Police Department responded to the call and soon found himself in an unusual situation.

During the investigation, officers spoke with a private investigator named Christopher Gulbraa, who became evasive and refused to reveal who had hired him or whom he was tailing. At that point, body cam footage shows Officer Cady pulling out his phone and asking ChatGPT whether a private eye could violate a protective order. The footage later surfaced publicly.

Police policy apparently permits officers to consult ChatGPT, but not everyone agrees it's appropriate. Greg Rogers, a retired FBI agent and criminal justice professor at Utah Valley University, told 2KUTV that using ChatGPT in this context "couldn't be more inappropriate." He noted that officers have advanced computers in their squad cars that can instantly pull up statutes, making reliance on AI unnecessary and risky.

Taylor and Dakota's marriage has been tabloid fodder since March, when video of their explosive 2023 argument was published. In late April, both obtained protective orders against each other, valid for three years. This latest development adds another layer to their already complicated legal battle.

The incident raises broader questions about the limits of AI in policing. While tools like ChatGPT can be helpful in everyday life, their use in legal matters—especially sensitive cases involving protective orders—is highly questionable. It remains to be seen whether Officer Cady's actions will have consequences, but the case has already drawn attention from legal experts and the public.