You see, no decent, ethical journalist would even think of doing this. No intelligent journalist—or pest removal professional—would either. Yet this is the guy CNN sicced on President Trump and his press secretaries in his first term. This irredeemable partisan hack became a broadcast news star with neither the common sense, acumen, professional skills or decency to justify such status, which he is making a living off now.
This is CNN. This is Jim Acosta. This is the state of American journalism.
Former CNN correspondent Jim Acosta released the video of him interviewing an AI-generated version of Joaquin Oliver, who is dead. He’s one of the 17 victims of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the tragedy that also inflicted David Hogg on the world, as if the shooting itself wasn’t horrible enough.
The avatar was animated from a photograph of the late 17-year-old who appears wearing a beanie while speaking in a monotone digital voice. Acosta begins by asking, “What happened to you?” to which the AI version of Oliver responds, “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.”
Let’s pass on the conduct of the parents in creating the creepy thing, which is right out of an episode of “Black Mirror.” The topic is journalism ethics. Today’s reporters are so estranged from the concepts of honesty, respect, objectivity, responsibility and trustworthiness that no ethics alarm pings when someone says, “Hey Jim! Apparently there’s an AI version f one of those dead Parkland kids. Why don’t you interview him? Maybe he’ll say something nasty about Trump!”
True, Acosta is pretty much the bottom of the barrel in the profession that is already the bottom of the profession barrel, but still, it wasn’t that long ago that a stunt like this would be considered outrageous if attempted by a shock jock like The Greaseman or Howard Stern. I would say that this is the canary dying in the mine, except that then Chris Cuomo or Don Lemon might interview an AI version of the canary.
[Even WordPress is disgusted; it won’t let me download a photo of this asshole.]
Ethics Alarms 
This is a perverted version of 32A Imaginary Consent, “He/She Would Have Wanted It This Way”
Of course, we have no idea what Joaquin would have wanted because he’s dead. His parents and Jim Acosta assume he would have wanted to live and that’s probably true, but would he have wanted his likeness to be used to argue for gun control? This is pure emotion-based manipulation. This is the opposite of reasoned, informed discussion. It’s the antithesis of what journalism is supposed to be.
I understand Acosta is getting reamed for agreeing to this sideshow act. Good.
The problem I have with this is that there is simply no way to generate what Joaquin Oliver would say regarding his untimely demise. Whatever is voiced by the AI-Joaquin is more a manifestation of the programmers’ biases, and whatever his parents thought he might (or should) say regarding the school shooting.
At least this AI is known to be a bot. I’ve recently run across several videos on YouTube that were purportedly from Bishop Robert Barron, but making speeches and denouncements that run completely against the grain of what he typically says in official recordings. (There’s also just enough brokenness in the dialogue that I’m fairly sure it was patched together from genuine speeches.)
From this experience, I have to ask, was this the real Jim Acosta conducting the interview, or was he a bot as well?
Would that Jim Acosta were a bot. He could simply be powered down.
Thank goodness Jack couldn’t post a photo of Acosta. I’m sick of his smug, silvering executive hair, Cuban cum George Clooney good looks. There’s nothing to the guy other than ego. He probably grew up admiring Geraldo Rivera. But he makes Geraldo seem modest.
a classical example of ethics not keeping pace with technology of technology being forged ahead by unethical user. This ai has taken steps into dark places occupied by dark people