Former CNN Correspondent Interviews AI-Created Version Of School Shooting Victim

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Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta conducted a controversial ‘interview’ with an AI-created version of a victim from the 2018 Parkland high school shooting.

The conversation featured Acosta speaking to an animated image of Joaquin Oliver, one of the 17 people killed in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

“According to Joaquin’s father Manuel, the avatar was based on a real photograph of his deceased son and was trained on general information and knowledge from his writings and social media postings,” The Independent stated.

“A show you don’t want to miss at 4p ET / 1p PT. I’ll be having a one of a kind interview with Joaquin Oliver. He died in the Parkland school shooting in 2018. But his parents have created an AI version of their son to deliver a powerful message on gun violence,” Acosta wrote.

More from The Independent:

At the start of the interview, which was posted to Acosta’s Substack page, the AI Oliver is asked what happened to him, prompting the model to answer in a somewhat robotic monotone. Additionally, besides the avatar sounding computerized, the motions of its face and lips appear jerky and erratic.

“I appreciate your curiosity,” the avatar said. “I was taken from this world too soon due to gun violence while at school. It’s important to talk about these issues so we can create a safer future for everyone.”

The AI model went on to talk about the need for “a mix of stronger gun control laws, mental health support and community engagement” when asked how to curb gun violence. “We need to create safe spaces for conversations and connections, making everyone feel seen and heard. It’s about building a culture of kindness and understanding,” it added.

Acosta also touched on some more casual topics in his conversation with the AI Oliver, such as asking the avatar about movies and the NBA. Following the interview, Acosta brought on Manuel to discuss his decision to use an artificially generated version of his son and whether he planned to continue to do so going forward.

“I understand that this is AI,” Manuel said. “I don’t want anyone to think that I am in, some way, trying to bring my son back. Sadly, I can’t, right? I wish I could. However, the technology is out there.”

Manuel, who has become an outspoken gun control advocate since his son’s death, also noted that the AI version of his son could help elevate the conversation about gun safety. “We can just raise the voices,” he said. “Now, Joaquin is going to start having followers… he’s going to start uploading videos. This is just the beginning.”

“Joaquin, known as Guac, should be 25 years old today. His father approached me to do the story… to keep the memory of his son alive,” Acosta said Monday.

Joaquin’s father, Manuel, responded to critics of the interview:

The Guardian provided additional details:

The former CNN anchor quickly faced criticism online in response to the stunt. One of the many angry users on the social media platform Bluesky posted: “There are living survivors of school shootings you could interview, and it would really be their words and thoughts instead of completely made-up.”

Acosta said in the video segment that Oliver’s parents created the AI version of their son and his father, Manuel Oliver, invited him to be the first reporter to interview the avatar. Acosta also spoke to Manuel Oliver in the video, telling him: “I really felt like I was speaking with Joaquin. It’s just a beautiful thing.”

The victim’s father said he understood this was an AI version of his son and that he can’t bring him back, but it was a blessing to hear his voice again. He said he’s looking forward to seeing what more AI can do.

Acosta’s conversation is not the first time AI has been used to bring back the victims of Parkland. Last year, parents of several victims launched a robocalling campaign called The Shotline with the voices of six students and staff who were killed in the mass shooting. The idea was to use the AI voices to call members of Congress and demand action on gun reform. Oliver was one of the victims in that project too.

“I’m back today because my parents used AI to re-create my voice to call you,” Oliver’s message said. “How many calls will it take for you to care? How many dead voices will you hear before you finally listen?”



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