Chris Pelkey, a man fatally shot during a road rage incident in Arizona three years ago, made a virtual courtroom appearance through artificial intelligence to confront his killer at sentencing.
Pelkey’s family used AI technology to create a posthumous victim impact statement at the sentencing of Gabriel Horcasitas, who was convicted of manslaughter in the case.
The AI-generated video featured Pelkey’s recreated voice and image, produced using past recordings, photos, and videos, delivering a message written by his sister, Stacey Wales.
“To Gabriel Horcasitas, the man who shot me, it is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances,” the AI version of Pelkey said. “In another life, we probably could have been friends… I believe in forgiveness, and a God who forgives.”
Displayed in court with the AI Pelkey wearing a grey cap, the video moved Judge Todd Lang, who sentenced Horcasitas to 10.5 years in prison and praised the family’s message of forgiveness: “I loved that AI, thank you for that… I heard the forgiveness.”
While legal experts like retired federal judge Paul Grimm noted that Arizona courts already integrate AI in various ways, ethicists such as Carnegie Mellon’s Derek Leben cautioned that future use of AI for deceased individuals must reflect their true values.
Wales defended the family’s approach, saying, “We used this tool ethically and morally. Like any powerful tool, it can harm or heal—we chose to build with it.”
