An Arizona man killed in a road rage shooting in 2021 confronted his killer in court on Monday, or at least an AI version of him did. After gathering more than 40 victim impact statements from Chris Pelkey's friends and family, his sister, Stacey Wales, was left wondering what Pelkey himself would say to his killer. Together with her husband and a friend, who've worked with AI for years, Wales fed videos and audio of her Army veteran brother into an AI model, which returned a version of Pelkey speaking words of forgiveness. It "could be the first use of AI to deliver a victim impact statement," per the Guardian.
Pelkey was 37 when he exited his vehicle at a red light in Chandler and went to speak with the driver behind him. "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," the AI version of Pelkey says in a video. "I believe in forgiveness, and a God who forgives. I always have, and I still do," continues the imitation of Pelkey, who was deeply religious. "The mouth of the AI victim didn't always align with the words he was speaking in the clip, but the video still had a powerful effect," per the New York Post.
Wales, who crafted the script, calls the AI version of her brother "a Frankenstein of love," per KSAZ. "He said things that would never come out of my mouth, but I know would come out his." Judge Todd Lang was clearly emotional at the reveal, per the Post. "I love that AI," he told the court. "I felt like that was genuine; that his obvious forgiveness of Mr. Horcasitas reflects the character I heard about today." Lang then sentenced 50-year-old Horcasitas to 10.5 years in prison for manslaughter. The sentence was "a full year more than the prosecutors asked for," per the Post. (More artificial intelligence stories.)
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