Jim Acosta’s AI-generated interview with a victim of the 2018 Parkland school shooting, Joaquin Oliver, has stirred the internet. Created from a video made by Oliver’s parents for what would have been his 25th birthday, it’s a reminder of the enduring pain felt by the community, survivors, and victims’ families of atrocities like Parkland.
The ethics behind Acosta’s “interview” may be questionable, but as a father of four preparing for back-to-school, it also raises the question: Are schools ready to protect students if — God forbid — a mass shooter attacks?
If a safety plan can’t withstand basic questions, it likely can’t withstand a real threat.
Every parent knows the mix of excitement and unease that accompanies handing a child over to someone else’s care for the better part of the