‘Insane’: Jim Acosta Under Fire After Interviewing AI Replica of Deceased School Shooting Victim

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Former CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta shocked and horrified social media users on Monday after he published an “interview” with an AI replica of a deceased school shooting victim.

Acosta “interviewed” an AI replica of Parkland school shooting victim Joaquin Oliver, who was killed at the age of 17 by mass shooter Nikolas Cruz in 2018, on his independent Substack show, asking the replica – which was created by Oliver’s parents – about solutions to ending gun violence.

Asked, “Joaquin, I would like to know what your solution would be for gun violence,” the AI copy replied, “Great question. 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. What do you think about that?”

“I think that’s a great idea, Joaquin,” Acosta responded.

The “interview” received heavy backlash online, with stunned social media users from across the political spectrum raising ethical concerns.

“Profoundly gross,” weighed in The Dispatch editor-in-chief Jonah Goldberg, while Semafor’s David Weigel also criticized the move.

The Hill’s Rising co-host Robby Soave reacted, “This is so insane and evil. It should never be done. I’m speechless,” while Washington Free Beacon investigate reporter Chuck Ross called it “truly some of the weirdest shit I’ve ever seen,” adding, “This is the kind of journalism that Jim Acosta is doing without the guardrails of CNN.”

“Hard for me to put into words how unsavory I find this,” commented Reason reporter Billy Binion. “Joaquin Oliver’s death was a tragedy. But animating a dead child to speak words he never said serves no journalistic purpose. All it does is chase clicks by exploiting a kid who can no longer express himself. Grim.”

Despite the criticism – which also included thousands of negative comments on the social network Bluesky – Acosta received support from Oliver’s family, who thanked the former CNN host.

“We asked our friend Jim Acosta to make an interview, to have an interview with our son because now thanks to AI we can bring him back,” said Oliver’s father in a video. “It was our idea, it was our plan, and it’s still our plan. We feel that Joaquin has a lot of things to say and as long as we have an option that allows us to bring that to you, to everyone, we will use it.”