A man shot dead in a road rage incident nearly four years ago appeared in an Arizona courtroom to provide his own witness statement from beyond the grave through an AI video played by his family.

Christopher Pelkey returned in a lifelike simulacrum on Thursday at his killer’s sentencing to deliver a victim’s statement himself.

Family members said they used the burgeoning technology to let Mr Pelkey use his own words to talk about the incident that took his life.

While some experts argue the unique use of AI is just another step into the future, others say it could become a slippery slope for using the technology in legal cases.

His family used voice recordings, videos and pictures of Mr Pelkey, who was 37 when he was killed, to recreate him in a video using AI.

Pelkey was gunned down by Gabriel Horcasitas following a dispute in Chandler, Arizona. He spoke to a court audience in what is believed to be the first use of artificial intelligence to deliver a victim impact statement.

Horcasitas, 50, was found guilty of manslaughter for shooting Pelkey, 37, to death when he approached his car during a road rage incident in 2021.  

Arizona Chief Justice Ann Timmer said she is excited about the potential benefits of AI in the courtroom but is worried about its lasting effects.

“AI can also hinder or even upend justice if inappropriately used,” noting that the court has pulled together an AI committee to make recommendations for how best to apply it in the courtroom.