Former CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta welcomed an unlikely guest to his Substack broadcast on Monday — a digital avatar of Joaquin Oliver, who was among 17 people killed in the Parkland school shooting in 2018. The host spoke with Oliver’s avatar for five minutes, discussing basketball, Star Wars, and gun violence. “I believe in a mix of stronger gun control laws, mental health support, and community engagement,” the avatar said. “Though my life was cut short, I want to keep inspiring others to connect and advocate for change.”
Oliver’s parents created the avatar using materials their son had written, said, and posted online, father Manuel Oliver told Acosta. He clarified he is not trying to bring his son back to life, but enjoys hearing his child’s voice again and thinks the avatar can help the gun reform cause. Manuel plans to build a social media presence for the avatar, and for it to participate in onstage debates about gun violence.
AI-generated recreations of people are still imperfect, with the avatar exhibiting choppy speech and limited facial expressions. They are also ethically contentious, with many criticizing Acosta’s choice to air the interview. Still, for some, the technology represents a powerful advocacy tool that gives victims a voice. The interview builds on previous uses of AI by families of Parkland shooting victims. Last year, they created AI voice messages of their loved ones demanding action on gun reform and shared them with lawmakers.