For the first time, AI was used during a sentencing hearing to recreate the voice and image of a murder victim. Christopher Pelkey, a 37-year-old Army veteran, was killed in a road rage incident in 2021. At his killer’s sentencing, Peley’s family used AI to create a video impact statement. It featured his real video clips, a photo with an old-age filter, and a voice trained to reflect his tone and personality. In the video, the AI version of Pelkey spoke directly to the court and to the man who shot him, mentioning forgiveness and reflecting on what it might have been like to grow old.
