Man Uses AI Avatar in Court—Judge Rejects It Immediately

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Man Uses AI Avatar in Court—Judge Shuts It Down Immediately

Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: April 07, 2025

Key Takeaways

A 74-year-old man, Jerome Dewald, tried using an AI avatar to present his legal case but was quickly stopped by the judge;
The judge rejected the AI video, noting Dewald hadn’t asked to replace himself with a digital version;
Dewald said he aimed to speak more clearly through the avatar but failed to mention the plan in his request.

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A recent hearing in a New York appeals court took an unexpected turn when Jerome Dewald, a 74-year-old man representing himself, attempted to use an artificial intelligence (AI) avatar to deliver his legal arguments.

Dewald had created a video featuring the digital figure, which he planned to play during the session. But as soon as the video began, the judge stopped the proceedings.

Judge Justice Sallie Manzanet-Daniels asked who the person on the screen was. Dewald explained that it was not a real person but something he had generated.

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He worked with a tech company based in San Francisco to make the digital speaker. He told the Associated Press that the goal was to present his points in a better way.

The judge, however, did not appreciate the surprise. She pointed out that Dewald had spoken in court before and had not asked permission to replace himself with a computer-generated image.

She then asked if Dewald had a medical reason for not speaking for himself. When he said no, the judge replied:

You’re not going to use this courtroom as a launch for your business. Shut that off.

Dewald said he had requested to use a video in advance but had not mentioned that it would feature an AI character. He also shared that he had wanted the avatar to look like him, but did not have enough time to create it before the hearing.

Recently, some users on X claimed President Donald Trump's new tariff plan may have been generated using an AI chatbot. What did they say? Read the full story.