In a US court, a digital version of the victim, created by AI, addressed the defendant in a murder case.
An Arizona man convicted of vehicular manslaughter was recently sentenced to 10.5 years in prison. For the first time in history, during a court session, the accused was addressed by his victim – in the form of a digital version created with the help of artificial intelligence. About this informs NBC News.
A court has granted permission to the sister of Christopher Pelkey, who died in a 2021 robbery by Gabriel Horkasitas, to create a digital likeness of her brother. Virtual Christopher got the opportunity to “say” the last word to his killer.
“It’s a shame we ran into you that day under those circumstances. In another life, we probably could have been friends. I believe in forgiveness and in a God who forgives. I always have and I still do.”,” the virtual Christopher Pelkey said to the killer.
The digital presentation also included actual video footage of Christopher so that those present in the courtroom could see what he was really like and how accurate the created image was. According to a representative of the Maricopa County Prosecutor’s Office, the initiative to create a digital copy belonged to the family of the deceased, not the state. Instead, Horkasitas’ lawyer called this speech “provocative”, which, in his opinion, could be grounds for filing an appeal.
University of Arizona law professor Gary Marchant, who specializes in ethics and emerging technologies, praised the Pelkey family for their innovative approach, but expressed concern about the potential consequences.
“You see a man speaking in a courtroom, but in reality he is dead and not speaking”, — noted Gary Marchant. According to him, such technologies can create a dangerous precedent.
We will remind that on October 10, 2024, the company Zoom announced the launch of the function of avatars with artificial intelligence. Users will be able to “teach” their digital copies — give them their own facial expressions, appearance and create video messages in the form of personalized AI doppelgangers.
