Latest news with #GabrielHorcasitas
Phone Arena
12-05-2025
- Phone Arena
Family uses AI to present message in court from loved one no longer alive
Artificial intelligence (AI) is all around us and while some use it to create funny animated pictures of themselves, others use it to "bring back" their loved ones that have departed. Maybe we've hit a new frontier in courtroom proceedings – recently, a simulated version of a deceased man created with AI spoke directly to his assailant during a sentencing hearing in Arizona. The AI-generated avatar of Christopher Pelkey, developed by his family, was presented in Maricopa County Superior Court, just before Gabriel Paul Horcasitas was sentenced for fatally shooting Pelkey during a 2021 road-rage incident. The digital recreation of Pelkey appeared on video wearing a green sweatshirt and a full beard, standing against a plain white background. Early in the video, the avatar clarified that it was an AI representation, a point made clear by minor audio irregularities and imperfect synchronization of speech and facial movements. In the message, the avatar expressed a sense of tragic irony about the encounter, suggesting that under different circumstances, they might have become friends. Pelkey, a 37-year-old US Army veteran, lost his life in the incident. His family chose to create the AI message to honor his memory and articulate their pain. Since the video was not used as evidence, the court allowed greater flexibility in presenting it during the sentencing phase. Horcasitas, who had already been found guilty of manslaughter and endangerment, received a sentence of ten and a half years in state Wales, Pelkey's sister, wrote the script for the avatar after finding it difficult to fully express her grief in her own words. Although she admitted she could not forgive Horcasitas, she believed her brother would have taken a more empathetic approach. The video, she explained, was meant to remind the court of her brother's humanity and the lasting impact of the tragedy. She worked with her husband and a friend, both of whom are in the tech industry, to produce the use of generative AI in this case introduces a new and emotionally charged way of applying technology in the legal system. While courts have been cautious about AI, especially after incidents where lawyers used fake cases created by AI, this new use without evidence adds another level of Surden, a law professor at the University of Colorado, pointed out that using generative AI in court raises ethical concerns. He explained that simulated content can skip over careful thinking and appeal directly to emotions, making it more powerful – and possibly more problematic – than regular evidence. He stressed that while these tools may seem real, they are still made up and should be treated as such. Image credit – OpenAI Let's hope nobody is in the aforementioned situation, but if you want to give AI videos a try, you could do so by using ChatGPT, for example – it's a straightforward process that combines AI-generated content with video creation to do: Generate a script: Use ChatGPT to create a script for your video. Choose a text-to-video tool: Pick a text-to-videoplatform. Customize and edit: Adjust voiceovers, visuals, and background music. Export and share: Export the video and upload it to platforms like YouTube. First, you'll use ChatGPT to generate a script for your video. Then, you can choose a text-to-video platform (you can find those online) to convert the script into a video, adjusting settings such as voiceovers and visuals. Finally, after previewing and editing the video, you can export it and share it across platforms like YouTube or social media.
Free Malaysia Today
12-05-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
Murdered Arizona man ‘returns' to address killer in court
Christopher Pelkey was shot and killed in a 2021 road-rage incident. (AP pic) CHANDLER : A simulation of a dead man created by artificial intelligence addressed his killer in an Arizona court this month, in what appears to be one of the first such instances in a US courtroom. Made by his family, an AI-generated avatar of Christopher Pelkey spoke in Maricopa county superior court on May 1, as a judge prepared to sentence Gabriel Paul Horcasitas for shooting and killing Pelkey in a 2021 road-rage incident. 'It is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances,' the Pelkey avatar says in the video. 'In another life, we probably could have been friends.' The Pelkey avatar appears in the video sporting a long beard and green sweatshirt against a white backdrop. He cautions at the start that he is an AI-version of Pelkey, which is apparent through the gaps in audio and slightly mismatched movement of his mouth. Pelkey, a US army veteran, was 37 at the time of the shooting. The video marked a novel use of AI in the legal system, which has viewed the rapidly growing technology with a mix of fascination and trepidation. Courts generally have strict rules on the types of information that can be presented in legal proceedings, and several lawyers have been sanctioned after AI systems created fake cases that they cited in legal briefs. Pelkey's relatives were given more leeway to present the AI-generated video to the judge at sentencing, given that it was not evidence in the case. Horcasitas, who was sentenced to 10.5 years in state prison, had already been convicted on manslaughter and endangerment charges. Pelkey's sister Stacey Wales said she scripted the AI-generated message after struggling to convey years of grief and pain in her own statement. She said she was not ready to forgive Horcasitas, but felt her brother would have a more understanding outlook. 'The goal was to humanise Chris, to reach the judge, and let him know his impact on this world and that he existed,' she told Reuters. Generative AI, Wales said, is 'just another avenue that you can use to reach somebody'. Wales said she worked with her husband and a family friend, who all work in the tech industry, to create it. Harry Surden, a law professor at the University of Colorado, said the use of generative AI material in court raises ethical concerns, as others may seek to use those tools to play on the emotions of judges and juries. The content is a simulation of reality, not the verified evidence that courts typically assess, Surden said. 'What we're seeing is the simulations have gotten so good that it completely bypasses our natural scepticism and goes straight to our emotion,' he said.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Yahoo
Late Arizona man forgives killer during trial in AI-generated video
(NewsNation) — Arizona man Christopher Pelkey's voice was taken from him forever when a man fatally shot him during a road rage incident in November 2021. But with the help of artificial intelligence and his family, the Army veteran left parting words for his killer. 'In another life we probably could have been friends,' a replica of Pelkey said in the AI-generated video played earlier this month in a Phoenix courtroom. This victim recreation is believed to be the first time AI has been used for a victim impact statement during a trial. The statements are a chance for victims and families to say their peace, but sometimes the victims aren't alive to do so. 'To Gabriel Horcasitas, the man who shot me, it is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances,' the video said. 'I believe in forgiveness and in God, who forgives. I always have and I still do.' The victim's sister, Stacey Wales, said she struggled to find the right words to say in a victim impact statement, so she turned to AI. 'I turned to my husband one night and I asked him, I said, 'Tim, I want you to help me have Chris make his own impact statement at sentencing next week. I know you can do it. I've seen your work,'' Wales told NewsNation. 'And he says, 'Stacy, do you know what you're asking me? This is my best friend.'' The couple works in tech, and they had just a few days to come up with the 4 and a half-minute video using photos and voice recordings with the script of what they believed Pelkey would have said. The result was realistic. The man charged with shooting Pelkey to death could be seen wiping away tears at the hearing. Horcasitas, 54, was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to more than 10 years in prison. 'I love that AI. Thank you for that,' Judge Todd Lang said at the hearing. 'And as angry as you are, and justifiably angry as the family is, I heard the forgiveness, and I know Mr. Horcasitas could appreciate it, but so did I.' Within hours of the hearing, the defense filed a notice to appeal, pointing to the impact AI may have had on the judge's sentencing decision. Although AI has been used before in legal research and preparing cases, using it to deliver a deceased person's victim impact statement is unprecedented. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Malay Mail
10-05-2025
- Malay Mail
Family brings Arizona man back to life with AI to confront killer in court
CHANDLER (Arizona), May 10 — A simulation of a dead man created by artificial intelligence addressed his killer in an Arizona court this month, in what appears to be one of the first such instances in a US courtroom. Made by his family, an AI-generated avatar of Christopher Pelkey spoke in Maricopa County Superior Court on May 1, as a judge prepared to sentence Gabriel Paul Horcasitas for shooting and killing Pelkey in a 2021 road-rage incident. 'It is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances,' the Pelkey avatar says in the video. 'In another life, we probably could have been friends.' The Pelkey avatar appears in the video sporting a long beard and green sweatshirt against a white backdrop. He cautions at the start that he is an AI-version of Pelkey, which is apparent through the gaps in audio and slightly mismatched movement of his mouth. Pelkey, a US Army veteran, was 37 at the time of the shooting. The video marked a novel use of AI in the legal system, which has viewed the rapidly growing technology with a mix of fascination and trepidation. Courts generally have strict rules on the types of information that can be presented in legal proceedings, and several lawyers have been sanctioned after AI systems created fake cases that they cited in legal briefs. Pelkey's relatives were given more leeway to present the AI-generated video to the judge at sentencing, given that it was not evidence in the case. Horcasitas, who was sentenced to 10.5 years in state prison, had already been convicted on manslaughter and endangerment charges. Pelkey's sister Stacey Wales said she scripted the AI-generated message after struggling to convey years of grief and pain in her own statement. She said she was not ready to forgive Horcasitas, but felt her brother would have a more understanding outlook. 'The goal was to humanise Chris, to reach the judge, and let him know his impact on this world and that he existed,' she told Reuters. Generative AI, Wales said, is 'just another avenue that you can use to reach somebody.' Wales said she worked with her husband and a family friend, who all work in the tech industry, to create it. Harry Surden, a law professor at the University of Colorado, said the use of generative AI material in court raises ethical concerns, as others may seek to use those tools to play on the emotions of judges and juries. The content is a simulation of reality, not the verified evidence that courts typically assess, Surden said. 'What we're seeing is the simulations have gotten so good that it completely bypasses our natural scepticism and goes straight to our emotion,' he said. — Reuters
RNZ News
09-05-2025
- RNZ News
Family creates AI video to depict Arizona man addressing his killer in court
By Liliana Salgado and Andrew Goudsward , Reuters Law professor at the University of Colorado Harry Surden says the use of generative AI material in court raises ethical concerns. Photo: ikiryo/123RF A simulation of a dead man created by artificial intelligence addressed his killer in an Arizona court this month, in what appears to be one of the first such instances in a US courtroom. Made by his family, an AI-generated avatar of Christopher Pelkey spoke in Maricopa County Superior Court on 1 May, as a judge prepared to sentence Gabriel Paul Horcasitas for shooting and killing Pelkey in a 2021 road-rage incident. "It is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances," the Pelkey avatar said in the video. "In another life, we probably could have been friends." The Pelkey avatar appears in the video sporting a long beard and green sweatshirt against a white backdrop. He cautions at the start that he was an AI-version of Pelkey, which was apparent through the gaps in audio and slightly mismatched movement of his mouth. Pelkey, a US Army veteran, was 37 at the time of the shooting. The video marked a novel use of AI in the legal system, which has viewed the rapidly growing technology with a mix of fascination and trepidation. Courts generally have strict rules on the types of information that can be presented in legal proceedings, and several lawyers have been sanctioned after AI systems created fake cases that they cited in legal briefs. Pelkey's relatives were given more leeway to present the AI-generated video to the judge at sentencing, given that it was not evidence in the case. Horcasitas, who was sentenced to 10.5 years in state prison, had already been convicted on manslaughter and endangerment charges. Pelkey's sister Stacey Wales said she scripted the AI-generated message after struggling to convey years of grief and pain in her own statement. She said she was not ready to forgive Horcasitas, but felt her brother would have a more understanding outlook. "The goal was to humanise Chris, to reach the judge, and let him know his impact on this world and that he existed," she told Reuters. Generative AI, Wales said, was "just another avenue that you can use to reach somebody". Wales said she worked with her husband and a family friend, who all work in the tech industry, to create it. Law professor at the University of Colorado Harry Surden said the use of generative AI material in court raises ethical concerns , as others may seek to use those tools to play on the emotions of judges and juries. The content was a simulation of reality, not the verified evidence that courts typically assessed, Surden said. "What we're seeing is the simulations have gotten so good that it completely bypasses our natural scepticism and goes straight to our emotion," he said. - Reuters
