Liberal journalist Jim Acosta is facing backlash after conducting a bizarre and politically charged “interview” with an AI-generated avatar of Joaquin Oliver, a Parkland school shooting victim, as part of a campaign to promote stricter gun control laws.
Oliver, who was killed in the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, would have turned 25 this week. Acosta partnered with Change the Ref, a gun control group founded by Oliver’s parents, to stage the pre-scripted conversation on his Substack platform Monday.
“Interviewing” the Deceased
Acosta, who left CNN in January and now runs a progressive Substack, sat down with a computer-generated recreation of Oliver — complete with a synthesized voice and animated expressions — and asked a series of politically loaded and personal questions.
“I would like to know what your solution would be for gun violence,” Acosta asked the AI creation.
The AI avatar responded in robotic tones:
“I believe in a mix of stronger gun control laws, mental health support, and community engagement… building a culture of kindness and understanding.”
“I think that’s a great idea, Joaquin,” Acosta replied.
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. Plus Texas State… pic.twitter.com/mbdM2WxwUR
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) August 4, 2025
Public Reaction: “Creepy,” “Unsettling”
The video quickly drew criticism across social media and Acosta’s live chat, with users calling the segment “creepy,” “weird,” and “deeply unsettling.” Others questioned the ethical boundaries of using deepfake-style technology to politicize a tragic death.
“It’s grotesque and exploitative,” one viewer commented.
“This isn’t journalism — it’s propaganda with a digital puppet,” another wrote.
Despite the criticism, Acosta stood by the segment, calling it an “expression of love” from the Oliver family and claiming it might offer “hope” in the gun control debate.
Not the First Time the Olivers Used AI
This isn’t the first time Manuel Oliver, Joaquin’s father, has used artificial intelligence to simulate his son’s voice and likeness. In 2024, the family released AI-generated robocalls to members of Congress using Joaquin’s voice to urge votes on gun control bills.
One such call said:
“It’s been six years, and you’ve done nothing, not a thing to stop all the shootings that have continued to happen since. I died that day in Parkland, my body was destroyed by a weapon of war.”
Acosta Pushes Emotional Appeal Over Policy
Acosta concluded the program by praising the AI conversation as “speechless” and claimed the technology helped him “feel like he was really speaking with Joaquin.”
He later remarked:
“Yes, I know that it might be a little startling to see one of these young people… come back to us in this fashion, but please understand… this AI experiment is an expression of love from the Oliver family for their son.”
But critics argue that it was little more than a publicity stunt, designed to manipulate emotions and shame political opponents, rather than present facts or policy arguments.
