Wow. We’ve seen AI used in some wild ways, but this has to top the cake…
A Parkland school shooting victim has been resurrected by AI! Joaquin Oliver was just 17 when he died in the devastating Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida in 2018 that killed 17 people. His parents have been advocating for gun safety ever since — and now they’re using an AI-generated avatar of their son to do just that!
Related: Donald Trump Thinks He Destroyed Taylor Swift’s Popularity!
On Tuesday, ex-CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta got the exclusive first interview with the AI for his YouTube show The Jim Acosta Show to mark what would have been the high schooler’s 25th birthday. In the nearly 5-minute chat, Jim asked Joaquin what his solution to gun violence would be. The AI responded:
“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. It’s about building a culture of kindness and understanding.”
The avatar continued:
“Though my life was cut short, I want to keep inspiring others to connect and advocate for change.”
Just… WOW.
The AI teen went on to chat about his favorite sport and movies, including Remember The Titans and Star Wars. Watch (below):
After the convo, Jim chatted with Joaquin’s dad, Manuel. The journalist first reflected:
“I’m kind of speechless as to the technology there. It was so insightful. I really felt like I was speaking with Joaquin. It’s just a beautiful thing.”
Manuel explained that the family thought bringing “AI Joaquin to life” would “create more impact” in the their fight for gun control. According to him, the AI has been trained using things the real-life Joaquin had written, said, or posted online before his death, as well as using information shared on the internet.
But, like… This AI version of Joaquin can’t ever actually share his true opinions on gun violence. We’ll never know what Joaquin felt in that terrifying moment — or what he would advocate for in its aftermath. Sure, you can train an AI based on others’ opinions, but it’s not Joaquin’s authentic perspective.
So, that begs the question: is this an attempt to get their son back? Soon, will all grieving parents turn to AI-generated versions of their loved ones as they mourn?? Anticipating this concern, Manuel insisted he knows this won’t actually bring his child back — and he’s not trying to, urging:
“I understand that this is AI. I don’t want anyone to think that I am, in some way, trying to bring my son back. Sadly, I can’t, right? I wish I could. However, the technology is out there.”
However, he did say he and his wife Patricia Padauy-Oliver created the AI, in part, to hear their son’s voice again:
“Patricia will spend hours asking questions. Like any other mother, she loves to hear Joaquin saying, ‘I love you, Mommy.’”
Oof. Heartbreaking.
If you think this one video is creepy — just get ready. AI Joaquin is set to become a social media personality to be used to fuel necessary conversations about gun safety. Manuel shared:
“Now, Joaquin is going to start having followers… He’s going to start uploading videos. This is just the beginning.”
BTW, the family has utilized AI versions of their son in the past, such as during a voting campaign in 2020:
Parkland victim Joaquin Oliver urged people to vote in a video that used artificial intelligence to imagine what he’d look like today.
Oliver was killed in 2018 in the MSD high school shooting. pic.twitter.com/0xjOOVndmz
— AJ+ (@ajplus) October 30, 2020
Seems like this is the very beginning of AI Joaquin’s online presence. We’ve entered a whole new world with this kind of advanced technology…
As you can imagine, folks have a LOT of strong reactions to this shocking use of AI. Taking to YouTube and X (Twitter), they wrote:
“Grief will make you do the saddest s**t omg. Just passed 2 years without my Mom and I can’t imagine using AI to make a video or photo that never happened, it’s a really dangerous precident to set for people who aren’t dealing with their grief and giving it more power over them than it should. Just my two cents, I know everyone is different.”
“Some of the most dystopian nightmares couldn’t have conjured up this”
“This is some black mirror level of s**t”
“As if the ai is a true representation. It can only repeat what the parents told it to say.”
“This feels not ok”
“No, you won’t be having an interview with Joaquin Oliver. He is dead. You will be getting AI prompted answers to your questions. This is no different than having a conversation with any chatbot. You are not being cutting edge, you are being grotesque.”
“I’m sorry for his parents’ grief, but Joaquin Oliver is dead. Having his face plastered on an LLM that is making up words for him is the worst kind of disrespect I can imagine.”
In some ways, it’s creating the exact buzz the parents wanted, helping bring more attention to their cause. And yet… Is this a healthy response to this tragedy?? What do U think about this? Tell us (below)!
If you’re experiencing emotional distress related to incidents of mass violence, you can call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or visit their website at https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline for more resources.
[Image via Jim Acosta Show/YouTube & Change The Ref/Instagram]
The post What In The Actual FFFFFFF…. Parkland School Shooting Victim Brought To Life Via AI Clone! appeared first on Perez Hilton.