Former CNN journalist Jim Acosta was criticized widely for recording an “interview” with an AI reconstruction of a child who was killed in the horrific massacre at Parkland in 2018.
The AI construct was made to look and sound like Joaquin Oliver, who was killed at 17 years old. Oliver’s parents approve of the avatar in order to seek increased gun control legislation.
‘This isn’t an interview. … It’s unethical and exploitative.’
“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 said on social media.
He posted a preview where he asks the AI avatar what solution it had to gun crime.
“I believe in a mix of stronger gun control laws, mental health support, and community engagement. We need to create safe spaces for conversations and connections, making sure everyone feels seen and heard,” the AI construct said.
Acosta was excoriated by many on both sides of the aisle for the bizarre stunt.
“This is the kind of journalism that Jim Acosta is doing without the guardrails of CNN,” said Chuck Ross of the Washington Free Beacon.
“This isn’t an interview, Jim. And you know that. It’s unethical and exploitative,” journalist Jim Stinson responded.
“This is obviously exploitive tragedy-mongering that no serious journalist would go near, so naturally Acosta is all over it,” replied Mark Hemingway of RealClearInvestigations.
“Jim Acosta is ok with deep fakes as long as the AI puppet says words that agree with his politics,” another critic said.
“It’s bad enough that this kid’s grief-stricken parents are turning to AI to keep their son ‘alive’ but doesn’t this breach some level of journalistic ethics to interview the AI ghost of a dead kid?” another detractor said. “I realize that’s a rhetorical question bc it’s Jim Acosta but still … grotesque.”
RELATED: Parkland survivor was praised for confronting Marco Rubio on gun control — he now regrets what he did
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Oliver was killed along with 16 others during the Feb. 14 attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School by Nikolas Cruz, a former student. His father, Manuel Oliver, also toured the country in January performing a play about his son and how he died.
“I don’t think politicians are able to solve this problem. It’s not a political answer that I’m expecting here. I’m expecting our society to evolve enough to understand,” he said at the time. “It’s happening with a huge number of young Americans that are more concerned about the things that really matter: climate change, gay rights, women’s rights, and also gun violence.”
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