Latest news with #Horcasitas
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- The Hindu
Family creates AI video to depict Arizona man addressing his killer in court
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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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 humanize 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 skepticism and goes straight to our emotion,' he said.
09-05-2025
Murder victim 'speaks' beyond the grave in AI generated video at sentencing
The family of an Arizona man killed in a road rage incident nearly four years ago brought him back last week as an AI-generated image to face the man responsible for his killing give an impact statement to the judge. The video message created by Christopher Pelkey's sister that used his likeness and voice during the May 1 sentencing was the first time the technology was used in an Arizona court at a sentencing, according to records. Pelkey was killed in November 2021 by Gabriel Paul Horcasitas, who was ultimately convicted of manslaughter charges. The AI-generated Pelkey spoke to Horcasitas in court and sought forgiveness. "In another life, we probably could have been friends," the avatar said in the video. "I believe in forgiveness and in God who forgives. I always have and I still do." Stacey Wales, Pelkey's sister, told ABC affiliate KNXV that the slain victim's friends and family "agreed this capture was a true representation of the spirit and soul of how Chris would have thought about his own sentencing as a murder victim." Wales said she wrote the script for the video and noted that her brother was a forgiving, God-fearing man. Dozens of other family members also provided victim impact statements and expressed anger over Horcasitas' actions. Prosecutors asked the judge for Horcasitas to be sentenced to nine and a half years in prison, but Judge Todd Lang ultimately issued a 10 and a half year sentence. Lang said he was moved by the AI-generated video. "I loved that AI, thank you for that. As angry as you are, as justifiably angry as the family is, I heard the forgiveness," the judge said during the sentencing. "I feel that that was genuine." Horcasitas's attorney, Jason Lamm, told ABC News that he was not given advanced notice about the video. He argued in court that Pelkey was the one who instigated the road rage incident and what the judge heard was a "kinder, more gentle" version of Pelkey. "I appreciate the fact that victims have the right to address the court, and this was a cathartic endeavor for Stacey Wells, but this was cringe," Lamm told ABC News. He said he has filed a notice of appeal for his client and that the use of the AI-generated video will likely be one of the points of contention. "This will be a bellwether case not just for Arizona but also courts around the country to rule on the use of AI in victim impact statements," Lamm said. Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ann Timmer provided a statement to KNXV about the use of AI in court cases. "AI has the potential to create great efficiencies in the justice system and may assist those unschooled in the law to better present their positions. For that reason, we are excited about AI's potential. But AI can also hinder or even upend justice if inappropriately used," she said in her statement. "A measured approach is best. Along those lines, the court has formed an AI committee to examine AI use and make recommendations for how best to use it. At bottom, those who use AI—including courts—are responsible for its accuracy," she added.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Murder victim 'speaks' beyond the grave in AI generated video at sentencing
The family of an Arizona man killed in a road rage incident nearly four years ago brought him back last week as an AI-generated image to face the man responsible for his killing give an impact statement to the judge. The video message created by Christopher Pelkey's sister that used his likeness and voice during the May 1 sentencing was the first time the technology was used in an Arizona court at a sentencing, according to records. Pelkey was killed in November 2021 by Gabriel Paul Horcasitas, who was ultimately convicted of manslaughter charges. The AI-generated Pelkey spoke to Horcasitas in court and sought forgiveness. "In another life, we probably could have been friends," the avatar said in the video. "I believe in forgiveness and in God who forgives. I always have and I still do." MORE: Bill would criminalize 'extremely harmful' online 'deepfakes' Stacey Wales, Pelkey's sister, told ABC affiliate KNXV that the slain victim's friends and family "agreed this capture was a true representation of the spirit and soul of how Chris would have thought about his own sentencing as a murder victim." Wales said she wrote the script for the video and noted that her brother was a forgiving, God-fearing man. Dozens of other family members also provided victim impact statements and expressed anger over Horcasitas' actions. Prosecutors asked the judge for Horcasitas to be sentenced to nine and a half years in prison, but Judge Todd Lang ultimately issued a 10 and a half year sentence. Lang said he was moved by the AI-generated video. "I loved that AI, thank you for that. As angry as you are, as justifiably angry as the family is, I heard the forgiveness," the judge said during the sentencing. "I feel that that was genuine." Horcasitas's attorney, Jason Lamm, told ABC News that he was not given advanced notice about the video. He argued in court that Pelkey was the one who instigated the road rage incident and what the judge heard was a "kinder, more gentle" version of Pelkey. "I appreciate the fact that victims have the right to address the court, and this was a cathartic endeavor for Stacey Wells, but this was cringe," Lamm told ABC News. He said he has filed a notice of appeal for his client and that the use of the AI-generated video will likely be one of the points of contention. MORE: EU launches global sting operation against AI-generated child sexual abuse material "This will be a bellwether case not just for Arizona but also courts around the country to rule on the use of AI in victim impact statements," Lamm said. Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ann Timmer provided a statement to KNXV about the use of AI in court cases. "AI has the potential to create great efficiencies in the justice system and may assist those unschooled in the law to better present their positions. For that reason, we are excited about AI's potential. But AI can also hinder or even upend justice if inappropriately used," she said in her statement. "A measured approach is best. Along those lines, the court has formed an AI committee to examine AI use and make recommendations for how best to use it. At bottom, those who use AI—including courts—are responsible for its accuracy," she added. Murder victim 'speaks' beyond the grave in AI generated video at sentencing originally appeared on
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
The Judge's Reaction to an AI-Generated Victim Impact Statement Was Not What We Expected
A slain Arizona man's family used AI to bring him back from the dead for his killer's sentencing hearing — and the judge presiding over the case apparently "loved" it. As 404 Media reports, judge Todd Lang was flabbergasted when he saw the AI-generated video of victim Chris Peskey that named and "forgave" the man who killed him in 2021. "To Gabriel Horcasitas, the man who shot me, it is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances," the video, which Peskey's sister Stacey Wales generated, intoned. "In another life we probably could have been friends. I believe in forgiveness, in God who forgives, I always have. And I still do." Found guilty earlier this year, Horcasitas' sentencing was contingent, as many cases are, upon various factors, including impact statements from the victim's family. As Wales told 404 Media, her husband Tim was initially freaked out when she introduced the idea of creating a digital clone of her brother for the hearing and told her she was "asking a lot." Ultimately, the video was accepted in the sentencing hearing, the first known instance of an AI clone of a deceased person being used in such a way. And the gambit appears to have paid off. "I loved that AI, and thank you for that," Lang said, per a video of his pre-sentencing speech. "As angry as you are, and as justifiably angry as the family is, I heard the forgiveness, and I know Mr. Horcasitas could appreciate it, but so did I." "I feel like calling him Christopher as we've gotten to know him today," Lang continued. "I feel that that was genuine, because obviously the forgiveness of Mr. Horcasitas reflects the character I heard about today." Lang acknowledged that although the family itself "demanded the maximum sentence," the AI Pelkey "spoke from his heart" and didn't call for such punishment. "I didn't hear him asking for the maximum sentence," the judge said. Horcasitas' lawyer also referenced the Peskey avatar when defending his client and, similarly, said that he also believes his client and the man he killed could have been friends had circumstances been different. That entreaty didn't seem to mean much, however, to Lang. He ended up sentencing Horcasitas to 10.5 years for manslaughter, which was a year and a half more than prosecutors were seeking. It's a surprising reaction, showing that many are not only open to AI being used this way, but also in favor of it — evidence that the chasm between AI skeptics and adopters could be widening. More on AI fakery: Slop Farmer Boasts About How He Uses AI to Flood Social Media With Garbage to Trick Older Women
Global News
08-05-2025
- Global News
AI video of dead road rage victim ‘forgives' killer in Arizona courtroom
A man who was shot dead three years ago in a road rage incident appeared — sort of — at his killer's sentencing with a message from beyond the grave, all thanks to AI. Chris Pelkey, a lifelong resident of Upstate New York, was gunned down in 2021 at age 37 in Chandler, Ariz. At a state courthouse on Thursday, a digitally regenerated version of Pelkey spoke to the man who took his life. '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 have been friends,' AI Pelkey says. 'I believe in forgiveness and a God who forgives. I always have, and I still do,' Pelkey added. Pelkey was a devout Christian and a decorated army veteran who served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. Horcasitas shot Pelkey at a red light after Pelkey left his vehicle and walked towards Horcasitas' car. Story continues below advertisement The digital regeneration used Pelkey's voice profile to emulate his tone and video recordings to mimic his physical appearance, including his distinct beard. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The idea to present an AI-generated victim statement from Pelkey was brought to fruition by Pelkey's sister, Stacey Wales, after she collected dozens of impact statements for the trial, she told local news outlet ABC-15. 'All I kept coming back to was, 'What would Chris say?'' Wales said, who described her brother's digital resurrection as a 'Frankenstein of love' to local outlet Fox 10. As AI permeates everyday life, U.S. lawmakers are beginning to gather information on its potential application in the courtroom and will soon seek public comment on its use as evidence at trial to determine how best to regulate its potential introduction. Story continues below advertisement On Friday in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Judicial Conference's Advisory Committee on Evidence Rules voted 8-1 in favour of seeking public comment on a draft rule designed to ensure evidence produced by generative AI technology meets the same reliability standards as evidence from a human expert witness. According to The Guardian, Judge Todd Lang was receptive to the use of AI during the proceeding. 'I loved that AI, thank you for that. As angry as you are, as justifiably angry as the family is, I heard the forgiveness,' Lang remarked. 'I feel that that was genuine.' Pelkey's brother, John, also supported using AI in Pelkey's case. He said that upon seeing his brother's face, he felt 'waves of healing,' adding that he is certain his brother would have forgiven the man who killed him. 'That was the man I knew,' John said. Horcasitas was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison on manslaughter charges. — With files from Reuters
