A Man Used an A.I. Video to Argue His Case in Court — and Judge Was Not Happy

A man was scolded in a New York courtroom in late March after attempting to use an A.I.-generated person to argue his case in front of a panel of judges.

The bizarre moment happened on March 26 when Jerome Dewald appeared before the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division’s First Judicial Department to present an argument supporting his employment dispute, according to The Associated Press and The New York Times.

In a video of the incident shared on social media by USA Today, the judges immediately turn and look at one another as a clip of a well-dressed, smiling man appears on screen and says, “May it please the court. I come here today a humble pro se before a panel of five distinguished justices.”

Justice Sallie Manzanet-Daniels then interrupts the video in apparent disbelief: “Alright, is this … is … hold on … is that counsel for the case?”

“I generated that, that is not a real person” Dewald replies.

“OK, it would have been nice to know that when you made your application,” Manzanet-Daniels replies sharply. “You did not tell me that, sir. I received the application and you have appeared before this court and been able to testify — verbally — in the past. You have gone to my clerk’s office and held verbal conversations with our staff for over 30 minutes. OK?”

The judge then challenges Dewald to present his case himself: “If you want to have oral argument time, you may stand up and give it to me,” Manzanet-Daniels says in the clip.

“I don’t appreciate being misled,” she adds.

Dewald had applied for permission from the court to play a prerecorded video during the hearing, according to the justice, who appears visibly frustrated over the incident.

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The plaintiff told the AP in an interview afterward that he used A.I. software created by a San Francisco tech company to create the video, which he said he wanted to use because he had difficulty with public speaking and hoped the tool would help him present a clearer argument. Dewald told the news outlet he also wrote a letter apologizing to the court.

“The court was really upset about it,” Dewald told the AP. “They chewed me up pretty good.”