Man speaks from the beyond the grave to his killer in a court room through AI

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Artificial intelligence has been used to bring a man killed in a road rage shooting back to life to address his killer at the sentencing hearing. Yes, this is real.

Four years ago, Christopher Pelkey was shot dead in a road rage incident in Chandler, Arizona, but through the power of AI, Pelkey has been digitally recreated to make a statement in court during the trial, according to a report from local news site ABC 15.

The video played in court shows the AI-generated Pelkey addressing the man who shot him dead, Gabriel Horcasitas, with Pelkey's digital recreation saying the following: "To Gabriel Horcasitas, the man who shot me - it is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances. In another life, we probably could've been friends. I believe in forgiveness and in God who forgives. I always have and I still do."

The AI video was accompanied by real videos of Pelkey to show a clearer understanding of his personality to the court. Notably, some of the real videos of Pelkey were used to create the AI-generated video. Judge Todd Lang responded to the AI-generated video, saying, "I love that AI. Thank you for that. I felt like that was genuine, that his obvious forgiveness of Mr. Horcasitas reflects the character I heard about today."

The use of AI-generated victim statements in court proceedings adds a previously impossible element to the process, and while the videos can be touching/impactful to the case through a personal element, it also raises some pretty serious concerns about where the line is drawn on their use. The main concerns are authenticity, emotional influence, and appropriate application. It's likely courts will adopt some AI guidelines for the use of these types of videos and how they can influence the general proceedings.