Overview

• On what would have been Joaquin Oliver’s 25th birthday, former CNN correspondent Jim Acosta conducted the first interview with an AI-generated avatar on his Substack platform.
• Manuel and Patricia Oliver trained the AI model on their son’s writings, speeches and social media posts to recreate his voice and likeness for advocacy.
• The avatar advocated a mix of stronger gun control laws, expanded mental health resources and community engagement as solutions to firearm violence.
• Supporters lauded the innovative approach to activism while critics labeled the conversation unsettling, exploitative and ethically fraught.
• The Oliver family has announced plans to release additional AI-powered videos to continue their campaign for gun reform.