Jim Acosta posts video interview with AI-generated avatar of Joaquin Oliver, who died at age 17 in the Parkland school shooting

Well that's kind of creepy.

It's very "John Anderton" from Minority Report.

Why would UK d he do this? He’s putting words into this dead guy’s mouth.

*Why would he

Joaquin was fucking gorgeous.

I wonder if he was friends with David Hogg?

Joaquin and his best friend.

R4, he’s underage and dead.

[quote] Jim Acosta Defends AI Interview With Parkland Shooting Victim

Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta has been forced to defend his decision to host an interview with an AI avatar meant to represent a 17-year-old victim of the 2018 Parkland school shooting.

Acosta, who left CNN earlier this year to start The Jim Acosta Show, shared the video with the AI avatar to his Substack on Monday.

It shows him conversing with an avatar representing Joaquin “Guac” Oliver, who was one of the 17 victims of the mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School.

The independent journalist referred to the AI avatar as his “first guest” on the hour-long show, and said that Oliver’s parents had created an “AI version” of their son in order to deliver a “powerful message on gun violence.”

During the five-minute conversation between Acosta and the AI version of Joaquin—which spoke in a somewhat monotone voice that jumped multiple octaves at times—the two discussed Joaquin’s death, solutions to gun violence and Joaquin’s hobbies while he was alive.

The facsimile of Joaquin responded in real time to Acosta’s questions.

“I was taken too soon due to gun violence at school,” AI Joaquin said after Acosta asked, “Can you explain what happened to you?”

“It’s important to talk about these issues so that we can create a safer future for everyone.”

At another point in the exchange, the AI avatar said, “I’m all about love, laughter, and living life to the fullest. Though my life was cut short, I want to keep inspiring others to make change.”

After the conversation with the AI avatar ended, Manuel Oliver joined the show to discuss the AI model of his son and its potential future.

Acosta told Oliver it was “inspiring” to “finally” speak to one of the children involved in a school shooting.

“We’ve heard from the parents. We’ve heard from the politicians. Now we’re hearing from the kids, which is so important.”

Several of the Parkland survivors, including David Hogg and X Gonzalez, went on to found the organization March for Our Lives, which held nationwide protests against gun violence in 2018 and 2022.

Oliver, whom Acosta referred to as a “good friend,” said that the avatar was “just the beginning” of what AI could do to represent his late son.

“Joaquin is going to start having followers. He’s going to start uploading videos. It’s just the beginning,” Oliver said.

Oliver told Acosta that he has no illusions about the AI avatar actually being his late son.

“I don’t want anyone to think in any way I’m trying to bring my son back. Sadly, I can’t. I wish I could.”

Joaquin’s father told the Daily Beast that a New York-based AI company produced the avatar, and that the interview with Acosta was “the first ever interview with a victim of gun violence that’s not here.”

To make the avatar, Oliver provided the company with written materials Joaquin produced before he died, including fictional stories he wrote.

Oliver said that he understands why some parents would be hesitant to use the technology, however, he thinks the AI avatar of Joaquin could help bolster advocacy for gun reform.

“As a father, just to be able to hear my son’s voice, that’s worth it, no matter the criticism,” Oliver said.

Still, some critics found the AI-fueled interaction disturbing and disrespectful.

Ryan Saavedra, a reporter for the conservative outlet The Daily Wire, hammered Acosta on X for using an “AI chat bot” to “push partisan politics.”

On the left-leaning social media platform Bluesky, more than 3000 users responded to Acosta’s post announcing the episode—many of them critical of the episode.

In a comment that received more than 300 likes, one user lambasted Acosta as “an actual opportunistic ghoul.”

The backlash was sufficiently strong that Acosta posted a video on his Bluesky account of Manuel Oliver defending the creation of the AI avatar and its use on the show.

This is creepy and gross.

Digital ghosts bring neither truth to the public nor healing to the aggrieved.

To state the obvious: Every AI creation like this is a puppet, being made to mouth somebody’s words to manipulate the viewer’s emotions. There’s no place for this nonsense in actual journalism.

[quote] Digital ghosts bring neither truth to the public nor healing to the aggrieved.

His parents would disagree. I hope they never stop advocating for gun control.

Liberals suck at social media.

They always come off as lunatics and creepy.

Jim Acosta is looking like Rosie O'Donnell lately.

Jim Acosta is low IQ.

Now we know AI will kill us through mortifying acts of bad taste.

I see where all this is headed. Server towers in the desert burn furiously, warming the planet that much more as we type in things like “JD Vance but he’s wearing earrings and a caftan and singing ‘Happy Days Are Here Again’ bouncing vigorously on a 10 inch dildo suctioned to the floor, and also the singing is bad and slightly off key”.