Patricia Oliver’s son Joaquin tragically lost his life in 2018 when a 19-year-old individual unleashed gunfire upon students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. This devastating incident resulted in the loss of seventeen lives.
Since then, Patricia and Manuel Oliver have been actively engaged in efforts to combat gun violence. Their recent initiative involved a unique project centered around replicating their son’s voice.
“We proceeded with the project by compiling various videos and audio recordings,” explained Oliver.
By utilizing past audio snippets, videos, and a heartfelt message crafted by Joaquin’s parents, artificial intelligence successfully mimicked Joaquin’s voice.
“While we understood the emotional challenge, nothing compares to the pain of losing Joaquin,” expressed Patricia.
In the recreated message, the AI-generated voice of Joaquin conveyed, “Hello, I am Joaquin Oliver. Six years ago, I was a senior at Parkland. Many lives were senselessly taken on Valentine’s Day that year by an individual wielding an AR-15.”
Continuing, the AI message stated, “I return today as my parents have harnessed AI to echo my voice to you.”
Upon hearing the final product, Patricia Oliver remarked, “The resemblance to Joaquin’s voice was striking. It was profoundly moving and impactful, almost as if Joaquin was speaking beside me, delivering that message. It was incredibly poignant.”
A new endeavor named The Shotline has emerged, utilizing artificial intelligence to replicate the voices of individuals lost to gun violence. Launched this month, the project is a collaborative effort between March For Our Lives and Change the Ref.
The primary objective of these organizations is to encourage the public to dispatch these AI messages to legislators in the fight against gun violence.
“This is an authentic approach. It’s our way of conveying a message to these lawmakers, urging them to truly listen and acknowledge the pervasive issue of gun violence across our nation,” stated Oliver.
Despite its innovative nature, concerns have been raised regarding this technology.
Anton Dahbura, the co-director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Assured Autonomy, remarked, “The unregulated use of voice synthesis technology poses ethical dilemmas. While some may have good intentions, there is potential for misuse by malicious actors.”
Dahbura emphasized the necessity for comprehensive policies and regulations at both federal and state levels to keep pace with the advancements in this technology and prevent misuse.
Recently, the FCC classified calls made with AI-generated voices as “artificial,” aiming to combat prevalent robocall scams and equip authorities with enhanced tools to combat illicit activities.
“Public awareness, vigilance, and responsible usage of this technology are paramount at this juncture,” Dahbura emphasized.
The Shotline project’s website presently features AI messages embodying the voices of six individuals lost to gun violence.
As of February 20, the website reported over 71,000 AI calls submitted to representatives via The Shotline, utilizing the available AI messages. The project aims to develop additional messages in the future to amplify voices and convey more impactful messages.
“This platform is open to incorporating more voices and disseminating further messages,” affirmed Oliver.
