This AI-generated video got an Arizona manslaughter sentence tossed, likely a first for a U.S. court

The use of artificial intelligence within the U.S. court system has typically been limited to administrative tasks and legal research.

The Army dress uniform and photo of the late Christopher Pelkey is displayed at his mother’s home, May 7, 2025, in Chandler, Ariz. [Photo: Matt York, File/AP Photo]

An Arizona man’s 10-year manslaughter sentence has been tossed in a case where a video generated by artificial intelligence portrayed the deceased victim addressing a judge before the punishment was imposed.In a decision released Wednesday, the Arizona Court of Appeals concluded Gabriel Paul Horcasitas must be resentenced in the 2021 shooting death of Christopher Pelkey because the AI video wasn’t reliable.The court found the video crossed the line, saying it didn’t reflect actual events and presented statements made in the footage as coming directly from the victim.“Indeed, rather than document an event or recording a particular moment, the AI video presents a depiction of the victim and his thoughts created from the imaginings of the victim’s sister,” the three-judge panel wrote.Jessica Gattuso, an attorney who represented victims in the case, and Kristen Reller, Horcasitas’ lawyer, declined to comment Thursday on the decision.Reller had argued Superior Court Judge Todd Lang violated due process protections by relying on AI evidence. Gattuso and prosecutors........

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