AI brings deceased Arizona man 'back to life' in court to deliver victim impact statement
ARIZONA: In a first-of-its-kind courtroom moment, artificial intelligence was used to recreate a deceased man's voice and likeness so he could address his killer at sentencing, three years after his death in a road rage shooting.
Chris Pelkey, who was 37 when he was fatally shot at a red light in Arizona, was brought "back" using AI technology developed by his family. They used voice recordings, videos, and photos to construct a digital version of Pelkey that read a statement written by his sister, Stacey Wales, during the sentencing hearing of Gabriel Horcasitas, who had already been found guilty by a jury.
The AI-generated video, showing Pelkey in a grey baseball cap, delivered a message of forgiveness: “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.”
Judge Todd Lang, who presided over the case, responded emotionally to the use of the technology, stating: “I loved that AI, thank you for that. As angry as you are, as justifiably angry as the family is, I heard the forgiveness.” He sentenced Horcasitas to 10 and a half years in prison on manslaughter charges.
While some legal experts, like retired federal judge and Duke Law professor Paul Grimm, acknowledged that AI’s presence in courts is growing, particularly in non-jury phases such as sentencing, others expressed caution. Derek Leben, a business ethics professor at Carnegie Mellon University, raised concerns about fidelity to a victim's true intentions when AI is used to reconstruct posthumous speech.
Stacey Wales defended the family’s use of the technology as a respectful and ethical way to give her brother the “final word.” She further added, “We approached this with ethics and morals because this is a powerful tool. Just like a hammer can be used to break a window or build a house, that’s how we used this technology.”
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Pak, Afghan forces trade fire along Chaman border: Report
Islamabad (PTI): A heavy exchange of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces was reported from the key Chaman border, according to a media report on Saturday.
Injuries were reported from the district hospital, but no fatalities occurred, the Dawn newspaper reported.
Officials from both sides accused each other of instigating the flare-up late on Friday night across the border in the Balochistan province.
While Pakistani officials said that Afghan forces had fired mortar shells on the Badani area, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed it was Pakistan that launched an attack on Spin Boldak, alleging that their forces were responding.
Pakistan's official sources told Dawn that Pakistani forces retaliated against the Afghan aggression and returned fire.
There were also reports of fighting on the Chaman-Kandahar highway, but these could not be immediately verified.
A senior official in Quetta confirmed on condition of anonymity that the exchange of fire started around 10 pm and continued until late at night.
The medical superintendent of Chaman district hospital said that three injured, including a woman, were brought to the medical facility.
There was neither any official word from the Inter-Services Public Relations -- Pakistan Army's media wing -- nor from the Foreign Office.
The Chaman border crossing, also known as Friendship Gate, connects Balochistan province to Afghanistan’s Kandahar.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated amidst regular allegations by Pakistan regarding the failure of the Afghan regime to deny safe havens to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan terrorists.
The two countries had agreed on a ceasefire following tensions last month, but the Foreign Office said last month that technically there was no truce as it was contingent on the Afghan Taliban stopping terrorist attacks in Pakistan, which they had failed to do.
