this post was submitted on 08 May 2025
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A Judge Accepted AI Video Testimony From a Dead Man (www.404media.co)
submitted 1 day ago by riot@slrpnk.net to c/technology@lemmy.world
102 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

An AI avatar made to look and sound like the likeness of a man who was killed in a road rage incident addressed the court and the man who killed him: “To Gabriel Horcasitas, the man who shot me, it is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances,” the AI avatar of Christopher Pelkey said. “In another life we probably could have been friends. I believe in forgiveness and a God who forgives. I still do.”

It was the first time the AI avatar of a victim—in this case, a dead man—has ever addressed a court, and it raises many questions about the use of this type of technology in future court proceedings. 

The avatar was made by Pelkey’s sister, Stacey Wales. Wales tells 404 Media that her husband, Pelkey’s brother-in-law, recoiled when she told him about the idea. “He told me, ‘Stacey, you’re asking a lot.’”

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[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 125 points 20 hours ago (2 children)

To Gabriel Horcasitas, the man who shot me, it is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances,” the AI avatar of Christopher Pelkey said. “In another life we probably could have been friends. I believe in forgiveness and a God who forgives. I still do.”

I find this nauseatingly disgusting and a disgrace that this was shown in a court of all places.

No, this man does not believe in forgiveness or a God because he's dead. He never said this, somebody wrote this script and a computer just made a video off it with his likeness.

Fuck everything about this, this should be prohibited

[–] Manifish_Destiny@lemmy.world 28 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Time to update my will.

[–] bampop@lemmy.world 5 points 6 hours ago

"Hi, I'm Manifish_Destiny speaking to you from beyond the grave. I'm happy to say that even though I had some skepticism of AI avatars and even put something about that in my will, I just didn't understand its potential to embody my true self. But now I do, so you can disregard all that. Come to think of it, you can disregard the rest of the will as well, I've got some radical new ideas..."