Overview

• On August 4, 2025, Joaquin Oliver’s parents debuted an AI-generated avatar interview on Jim Acosta’s Substack to mark his would-be 25th birthday.
• The avatar was trained on text and voice materials from Oliver’s writings, speeches and social media posts to simulate his likeness and speech patterns.
• During the interview, the AI Oliver called for a combination of stronger gun control measures, mental health services and community engagement to reduce gun violence.
• Manuel and Patricia Oliver said the project serves both as a form of remembrance for their family and as a way to amplify their son’s voice in the gun safety debate.
• Developed through their advocacy group Change the Ref and building on last year’s Shotline campaign, the initiative will expand to include video uploads and wider social media outreach.