In a move that many are calling grotesque, unethical, and downright disturbing, former CNN host Jim Acosta used artificial intelligence to “interview” a reanimated digital version of a dead school shooting victim — all to push a gun control narrative.
On his Substack-hosted program The Jim Acosta Show, the liberal media personality sat down for a so-called “interview” with an AI-generated avatar of Joaquin Oliver, a 17-year-old victim of the 2018 Parkland school shooting. The segment aired on what would have been Oliver’s 25th birthday and quickly drew fire across the political spectrum for its tastelessness and exploitation.
AI Grief Theatre: The Interview That Crossed the Line
Acosta introduced the show by teasing a “one-of-a-kind” interview. What viewers saw was a lifeless digital recreation of Oliver—complete with jerky facial movements, robotic speech patterns, and pre-programmed talking points.
“I appreciate your curiosity,” the avatar said in a flat, computer-generated voice when Acosta asked, “What happened to you?” The AI voice continued, “I was taken from this world too soon due to gun violence while at school. It’s important to talk about these issues so we can create a safer future for everyone.”
Later in the segment, Acosta asked the AI what its “solution” to gun violence would be. The avatar replied, “I believe in a mix of stronger gun control laws, mental health support, and community engagement.”
Acosta responded, “I think that’s a great idea, Joaquin.”
But Joaquin Oliver is dead. What Acosta did was not journalism. It was digital necromancy — a political performance dressed up in technology.
Langley Outdoors: “Jim Acosta Just Descended into a Level of Disgusting”
Braden Langley of Langley Outdoors delivered a blistering response in a video titled “Gun Controlling HACK Jim Acosta Airs CRINGY Interview.” His reaction was raw and unsparing.
“Jim Acosta just descended into a level of disgusting that’s hard to articulate,” Langley said in the video. “He’s interviewing a resurrected AI child who was killed in a school shooting… It doesn’t get weirder than this.”
Langley clarified that he doesn’t blame the grieving parents who created the avatar of their son, but he strongly condemned Acosta and others who use tragedy as emotional blackmail to erode constitutional rights.
“This is a level of uncomfortable that every single person needs to see — because these are the tactics that they are willing to go to in order to take your gun rights away,” he said. “It is a pre-programmed, preset discussion around talking point gun control… propagated by an AI of the image of a dead child.”
Langley urged viewers to recognize that this is not about mourning — it’s about manipulation.
“The reason that you have a natural aversion to this… is because you have common decency,” he said. “You would never stand on the graves of those that have fallen like this. It’s gross.”
The Reaction: Creepy, Exploitative, and Downright Ghoulish
Outrage was immediate.
“This is unseemly, insensitive, and creepy,” wrote Townhall’s Matt Vespa, echoing the sentiments of many viewers. Social media was lit up with criticism, with one user writing, “There are living survivors of school shootings you could interview, and it would really be their words and thoughts instead of completely made-up.”
Fox News called it a blatant attempt to weaponize tragedy. “Liberal journalist Jim Acosta ‘interviewed’ the artificially animated avatar of deceased teenager Joaquin Oliver to promote a gun control message,” reported David Rutz.
Even viewers who support some forms of gun regulation described the episode as “ghoulish” and “exploitative.”
More weighed in on X.
“Liberal journalist” “Working with the gun control group” is an advocate, not a journalist But we knew that…RT
Jim Acosta ‘interviews’ AI-
Jim Acosta ‘interviews’ AI-generated avatar of deceased teenager promoting gun control message https://t.co/bLkElv8xHr #FoxNews @NSSF “NSSF— Larry Keane (@lkeane) August 5, 2025
This is so insane and evil. It should never be done. I’m speechless. https://t.co/y7vvIzd1Ov
— Robby Soave (@robbysoave) August 4, 2025
Who’s Behind the Avatar?
Acosta claims the avatar was created by Joaquin’s father, Manuel Oliver, through their organization Change the Ref, a gun control group. According to Acosta, Manuel invited him to be the first journalist to interview the AI version of his son.
“I understand that this is AI,” said Manuel Oliver during the segment. “Sadly, I can’t [bring him back]. However, the technology is out there. I can hear his voice again.”
But hearing a voice and putting words in a dead child’s mouth are two very different things.
Acosta seemed unmoved by the controversy. “I really felt like I was speaking with Joaquin. It’s just a beautiful thing,” he said.
A Dangerous Precedent
Beyond the emotional manipulation, critics warn that stunts like this pose serious ethical and legal concerns. AI deepfakes of the deceased open the door to misinformation, fraud, and erosion of trust in media. Who gets to decide what the dead say? And when does grief become propaganda?
In 2024, a similar AI recreation of Oliver’s voice was used in robocalls to members of Congress demanding gun control. The message said, “I died that day in Parkland, my body was destroyed by a weapon of war.”
But now it’s gone a step further: full-blown digital puppetry under the guise of news.
Bottom Line: This Was Not Journalism. It Was Exploitation.
Acosta’s AI stunt isn’t a tribute. It’s not activism. It’s theater — using a dead teenager’s likeness, without his consent, to score political points. And while the media class may applaud the emotional spectacle, millions of Americans watching from outside the Beltway are left asking:
If you have to fake a person to make your argument, maybe your argument isn’t as strong as you think.
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