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.”
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Metro announcements, QR code-based parking to ease access to R-Day parade in Delhi
New Delhi (PTI): From metro station announcements to a QR code-based parking system, a series of measures have been rolled out for Republic Day celebrations along the Kartavya Path in Delhi, officials said on Sunday.
While the metro announcements will guide ticket and pass holders travelling to the parade venue, the QR code-based system will help nearly 8,000 vehicles park at designated locations close to the respective seating enclosures.
All enclosures for this year's Republic Day parade have been named after rivers, and commuters will be directed to specific metro stations depending on whether their allotted seating enclosure lies to the north or south of the Kartavya Path, officials said.
According to the announcements, spectators seated on the southern side and allotted enclosures such as Beas, Brahmaputra, Chambal, Chenab, Gandak, Ganga, Ghagra, Godavari, Sindhu and Jhelum will be asked to get down at Udyog Bhawan Metro Station.
Those holding tickets for the northern side, with enclosures including Kaveri, Kosi, Krishna, Mahanadi, Narmada, Pennar, Periyar, Ravi, Son, Satluj, Teesta, Vaigai and Yamuna, are being advised to exit at the Central Secretariat Metro Station.
Officials said pedestrian pathways have also been aligned with enclosures named after rivers to ensure smoother access and reduce congestion on the parade day.
A senior official said a QR code-based parking system has been introduced to assist spectators arriving by vehicles. The system covers 22 designated parking lots and is aimed at accommodating nearly 8,000 vehicles.
Under the arrangement, parking pass holders can scan the QR codes printed on their passes to access real-time directions to the parking lots closest to their seating enclosures, from where they can walk to their seats.
The official said around 77,000 passes are issued to spectators for the Republic Day parade every year, of which about 8,000 are meant for those arriving by vehicles.
"The system is intended to minimise confusion and streamline vehicle movement during the celebrations," a senior police officer said.
Spectators have been advised to rely on metro services as far as possible and follow announcements and signage for smooth access to Kartavya Path, he added.
