
Jim Acosta's journalistic integrity is being questioned after the CNN alum interviewed an AI avatar of Parkland shooting victim Joaquin Oliver, who died in the 2018 tragedy along with 16 other people. While the conversation was organized by Oliver's parents' gun control group, Change the Ref, in honor of his 25th birthday, the decision wasn't well-received.
"I was taken from this world too soon due to gun violence while at school," the AI version of Oliver said in the interview. "It's important to talk about these issues so we can create a safer future for everyone."
The AI version of Oliver went on to discuss the Second Amendment with Acosta.
"I believe in a mix of stronger gun control laws, mental health support and community engagement," it said. "We need to create safe spaces for conversations and connections, making sure everyone feels seen and heard. It's about building a culture of kindness and understanding."
"Though my life was cut short, I want to keep inspiring others to connect and advocate for change," the AI Oliver added.
The mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, continues to be used in activism against gun violence. But viewers didn't feel like Acosta moved the needle with his AI interview, which he shared on YouTube.
Critics took to Bluesky to share their concerns.
"You don't have an interview. You're facilitating a grotesque puppet show, using grieving parents' heartbreak for a bit," one Bluesky user wrote. "The bar is in hell and you still managed to trip on it."
"You're interviewing an AI recreation of a person who was murdered by a spree killer? Wow," another Bluesky user complained to Acosta. "It's hard to accept that no one around you suggested that this was probably in the worst possible taste. AI exists, we know that, but just because you CAN do something with it, that doesn't mean you SHOULD."
"'I'll have a one of a kind interview with Joaquin Oliver.' … No, you won't. You're talking to a glorified answering machine message, you dingbat," another critic wrote.