Jerome Dewald's case was heard in a New York court on March 26. The man was allowed to represent himself via video, so all 5 judges in the courtroom reacted normally to the video until some details were revealed.
Jerome Dewald's case was heard in a New York court on March 26. The man was allowed to represent himself via video, so all 5 judges in the courtroom reacted normally to the video until some details were revealed.
At the beginning of the court session, a young man addressed the judges from the screen with a confident tone. Everything was going well until one of the judges decided to interrupt his speech. That's when everything was revealed.
As it turned out, the 74-year-old man is afraid of public speaking, which is why he decided to use technology, writes ZME Science.
He used AI to create an avatar. Although he is much younger than Jerome, the man explained that he wanted to create someone who looked more like him, but it didn't work out due to technical difficulties.
The judges were annoyed when they found out that an AI avatar was on the screen.
“It would have been good to know this when you applied,” said one of the judges. “I don’t like to be misled.”
But, as the man explained in an apology letter to the court, he had no such intention: "My intention was never to deceive, but rather to present my arguments in the most effective way. However, I recognize that proper disclosure and transparency must always take priority."
After the revelation, the real Dewald continued his speech on the screen, and it was clear how difficult it was for him to express his arguments - he often paused, read from his phone, and stuttered.
His case is still pending in court.
