AI double of deceased person appeared in court for the first time and forgave his killer
In an Arizona courtroom in the USA, an event occurred that could change our understanding of justice and technology. For the first time in the history of the American judicial system, a deceased person so to speak “appeared” before the court. With the help of his digital double, created based on artificial intelligence.
The story began 2 years ago, when a conflict occurred between two men on a highway. The quarrel ended in tragedy. Gabriel Horcasitas shot Christopher Pelkey. After a lengthy investigation, the day of sentencing came. And then something unexpected happened.
Christopher’s sister approached the court with an unusual request. She wanted her brother himself to address those gathered. She recreated her brother’s image using artificial intelligence, using recordings of his voice, photographs, and videos.
When Christopher’s digital double began to speak, complete silence fell in the courtroom. Addressing his killer, he spoke words that no one expected to hear. He said that everything that happened between them was a stupid accident. And in other circumstances, they could even have become friends. Then he said something that touched the hearts of all present — he forgave his killer.
Digital Christopher concluded his speech with a simple and at the same time profound farewell: “Thank you for your attention, I’m going fishing again. See you on the other side.”
This court session became the first known case when an American court officially accepted the performance of an avatar created with the help of artificial intelligence. As a representative of the deceased victim during the sentencing procedure.
Judge Todd Lang was deeply impressed by what he saw. He openly acknowledged the emotional impact of this unusual presentation. And made the decision to assign the killer the maximum possible punishment. 10.5 years of imprisonment.
