In an unprecedented use of technology, an AI-generated video of a deceased Arizona man was played in a courtroom this month during the sentencing of his killer. The avatar of Christopher Pelkey, a 37-year-old U.S. Army veteran killed in a 2021 road-rage incident, addressed Gabriel Paul Horcasitas, who received a 10.5-year prison sentence for manslaughter.
The family of Pelkey created the digital simulation to ‘humanize’ him during the emotional sentencing phase. The video, scripted by Pelkey’s sister Stacey Wales, featured the AI-generated version stating, ‘It is a shame we encountered each other that day… In another life, we probably could have been friends.’
The video, developed by Wales’ tech industry contacts, was permitted despite strict court rules, as it was presented as a victim impact statement rather than evidence. Legal experts like Harry Surden, a law professor at the University of Colorado, cautioned that such AI simulations risk manipulating emotions, calling them ‘a bypass of natural skepticism.’
While some view the case as a breakthrough for grieving families, others warn of ethical implications in integrating generative AI into judicial processes. Courts across the U.S. are grappling with balancing technological innovation with safeguards against misuse.
