Raising the Dead

Against digital necromancy

There’s a surfeit of fake outrage in the world nowadays. But occasionally, something actually outrageous comes along to spark a proportionate amount of ire. Case in point: Jim Acosta’s choice to kick off his new independent talk show by “interviewing” someone who’s already dead.

Acosta’s “subject” was an AI simulacrum of 17-year-old Joaquin Oliver, a teenager murdered seven years ago in the Parkland school shooting. Oliver’s parents—Manny and Patricia—created the avatar based on photos, voice recordings, and video clips. An underlying chatbot “answered” Acosta’s questions in real time, its artificial voice inexplicably jumping octaves while the artificial eyes stared blankly. I’m not sure which would have been more disturbing—that soulless stare, or a soulless smile.

“I’m all about love, laughter, and living life to the fullest,” the bot says when Acosta asks it to “tell us about yourself.” Acosta prompts it again to be more specific and talk about the boy’s favorite sports or movies. There follows some excruciating “discussion” of basketball and Star Wars, which Acosta names as his own favorite after the bot returns the question. The bot notes that “The adventures, the characters, and that iconic music are unforgettable,” “Luke Skywalker is a classic hero,” and “Yoda’s wisdom and quirky personality bring so much to the series.”

Afterwards, Manny Oliver joins Acosta to reflect on the experiment. “It was so insightful,” Acosta gushes. “I really felt like I was speaking with Joaquin.” Manny says they hope to create a whole social media channel for the bot, with regular “updates.” “This is only the beginning.”

The backlash has been swift and furious. The Washington Post reports on it here. It grew so intense that Acosta and Mr. Oliver made defensive followup statements. “If the problem you have is with the AI,” Manny lashed out, “then you have the wrong problem. The real problem is that my son was shot.”

Grief can make mad, and in our brave new world, it’s not shocking that parents suffering from it might do a mad thing like this. The tender heart hesitates to pass judgment. Yet judge we must, because what has been unleashed is far bigger than the Olivers.