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The bizarre moment unfolded during a hearing before the Appellate Division’s First Department on Wednesday, March 26, and was captured on the court’s official YouTube channel.
Jerome Dewald, the plaintiff in a contract dispute, had been granted permission to play a pre-recorded video to support his oral argument.
“The appellant has submitted a video for his argument,” Justice Sallie Manzanet-Daniels announced, before instructing the courtroom to begin playback.
The screen flickered to life, revealing a crisply animated, perfectly lit young man in front of a blurred virtual background. “May it please the court,” the AI-generated speaker began, “I come here today a humble pro se before a panel of five distinguished justices…”
Just three seconds into the video, Manzanet-Daniels promptly cut it off. “Is that counsel for the case?” she asked.
“I generated that,” Dewald replied. “That is not a real person.”
Manzanet-Daniels, clearly irritated, shot back: “It would have been nice to know that when you made your application. I don’t appreciate being misled.”
She then called for the video to be turned off.
Dewald, a self-described entrepreneur, had stumbled over his words in previous hearings and believed using AI might allow for a more polished, less nerve-wracking presentation, The New York Times reports.
He was left overwhelmed by embarrassment and later sent a letter of apology to the panel, admitting he had “inadvertently misled” the court, according to the outlet.
“My intent was never to deceive but rather to present my arguments in the most efficient manner possible,” he wrote in his letter. “However, I recognize that proper disclosure and transparency must always take precedence.”
Video of the incident, which begins at the 19:28 mark, can be viewed below.
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