Overview

• On what would have been Joaquin Oliver’s 25th birthday, Acosta published a digital “interview” with an AI-generated avatar created by the victim’s parents and gun control group Change the Ref
• Commentators and social media users denounced the segment as exploitative and unsettling, citing misaligned facial movements and robotic delivery
• Experts including UC Berkeley’s Hany Farid cautioned that AI simulations of the deceased risk misrepresenting victims and overshadowing real survivors’ testimony
• Manuel Oliver defended the project as a way to honor his son’s legacy and emphasized that he fully understands the technology cannot bring Joaquin back
• Oliver outlined plans for future AI appearances—from online video uploads to live stage debates—to keep his son’s voice central to ongoing gun safety advocacy