In brief
- Christopher Pelkey’s family used AI to create a video of him delivering a victim impact statement at the sentencing of Gabriel Horcasitas, who was convicted of killed him in a 2021 road rage incident.
- The AI-generated statement, believed to be the first of its kind in court, showed forgiveness toward Horcasitas and moved the judge, who sentenced Horcasitas to nearly 13 years in prison.
- Legal experts warn about potential ethical concerns and prejudicial effects of using deepfake technology in courtrooms.
Christopher Pelkey spoke directly to the man who shot and killed him during a 2021 road rage incident in Arizona—three-and-a-half years after his death.
“To Your Honor, Judge Lang, thank you for making yourself available to see this case to the end. Especially when the rescheduled trial conflicted with your daughter’s spring break,” the AI version of Christopher Pelkey said in a video presented in the Phoenix, Arizona courtroom.
“To Gabriel Horcasitas, the man who shot me: It is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances,” Pelkey’s voice and likeness rang out in the courtroom. “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.”…