Manslaughter sentence tossed after AI video of victim shown in court

What happened: An Arizona appeals court threw out Gabriel Horcasitas's 10-year manslaughter sentence, ruling the AI-generated video of victim Christopher Pelkey shown at sentencing was not reliable and that he must be resentenced. Key numbers: 10-year sentence vacated; shooting occurred November 2021; Horcasitas is 55, Pelkey was Why it matters: The court found the video presented statements as coming from the victim that were created by his sister, and the defense argued Horcasitas had no meaningful chance to rebut it. A law professor warned deepfake evidence could spread in courtrooms.

An Arizona appeals court threw out Gabriel Horcasitas's 10-year manslaughter sentence, ruling the AI-generated video of victim Christopher Pelkey shown at sentencing was not reliable and that he must be resentenced.

The court found the video presented statements as coming from the victim that were created by his sister, and the defense argued Horcasitas had no meaningful chance to rebut it. A law professor warned deepfake evidence could spread in courtrooms.