Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta has been forced to defend his decision to host an interview with an AI avatar meant to mimic a 17-year-old victim of the 2018 Parkland school shooting.
Acosta, who left CNN earlier this year to start The Jim Acosta Show, posted 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 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 seemed to be responding in real time to Acosta’s questions.
“I was taken too soon due to gun violence at school,” AI Joaquin said after Acosta asked it “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.”
In addition to answering questions from Acosta, the AI version of Joaquin asked multiple questions itself, inquiring as to Acosta’s favorite basketball team and his favorite moment from the Star Wars movies.
As they spoke, the AI avatar resembled a human speaking, and the model generating it seemed to spontaneously generate imagery corresponding to the current topic of conversation.
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.
Notably, Hogg appeared on CNN several times while Acosta was a reporter at the network.
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.
On a deeper level, Oliver said that he savors his own interactions with the avatar.
“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.”
Another user, who received 900 likes, addressed Acosta directly and wrote, ”You’re interviewing ChatGPT, not Joaquin Oliver. Don’t p— on my leg and tell me it’s raining.”
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.
“His son would be 25 today,” Acosta wrote in the caption accompanying the video, referring to Joaquin’s birthday of August 4.
“If the problem you have is with the AI, then you have the wrong problem,” Manuel Oliver said in the video. In recent years, Oliver has become an outspoken advocate for gun reform and founded the organization Change the Ref.
“The real problem is that my son was shot 8 years ago.”
Acosta defended his choice to do the AI interview to The Independent and reiterated that Joaquin’s family reached out to him to arrange it.
“My heart goes out to them and I was honored to help them in this moment.”
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