Former CNN host Jim Acosta faced backlash on Monday after sharing what he called a “one-of-a-kind interview” with an AI version of Parkland school shooting victim Joaquin Oliver, a bot created by his parents to honor their son on what would have been his 25th birthday.
The interview — shared to Acosta’s SubStack page — depicts Oliver, one of 17 who died in the 2018 massacre, remarking on the cause of death and stressing why it’s “important” to talk about gun violence in schools.
The AI — when asked for its “solution” to gun violence — emphasized a need for a mix of stronger gun-control laws, mental health support and community engagement.
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The bot of Oliver proceeded to speak in a noticeably higher tone before discussing the late teen’s interests in the Miami Heat and Star Wars.
Acosta — who declared that the technology left him “speechless” — called the conversation “so insightful,” telling the late teen’s father, Manuel Oliver, that it felt like the first time he really got to know his son.
“I felt like I was communicating with him, which is just so remarkable,” Acosta said.
“People say, ‘Well, AI, you know, it could be bad, it could cause all these destructive things.’ This is an example of how it might actually do some good, it might help some people who have suffered tremendous losses like your family have a way to hold on to who this person was, which I think is a beautiful thing.”
@JimAcosta
Manuel Oliver and his wife, Patricia Oliver — co-founders of the gun-control advocacy group Change the Ref — have been involved in other projects that demand action against gun violence, including a school shooting video game, a play and a site that uses AI to recreate victims’ voices for calls to Congress.
Manuel Oliver — in a video shared to X, formerly Twitter — acknowledged that the AI was his and his wife’s idea, adding that Acosta shouldn’t be blamed for “what he was able to do” in the “interview.”
“If the problem that you have is with the AI, then you have the wrong problem,” he said.
“The real problem is that my son was shot eight years ago. So if you believe that that is not the problem, you are part of the problem.”
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While Acosta restricted those who could reply to his posts on X, it wasn’t the same case on his BlueSky account, where a number of critics were stunned by the AI move.
“Hey Jim. Quick question. What the fuck is wrong with you,” replied one user.
And, naturally, users on X had a lot to say regardless. Check out what users said on Bluesky and X below.
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
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