Grieving Families Use AI to Call Lawmakers for Gun Control

Gun violence victims are using AI-generated voices to call lawmakers who support the National Rifle Association (NRA) and oppose stricter gun regulations. The families of victims killed in shootings are utilizing artificial intelligence to create messages in their loved ones’ voices and robocalling senators and House members to voice their opposition. The campaign, run through The Shotline website, was launched on the sixth anniversary of the Parkland school shooting, which claimed the lives of 17-year-old Joaquin Oliver and 16 others. Oliver’s parents, Manuel and Patricia, immigrants from Venezuela, want the sale of weapons like the AR-15 banned. The AI calls aim to demand action and draw attention to the need for stricter gun control laws. The campaign is organized by Change the Ref, founded by the Olivers, in partnership with March for Our Lives, a group led by Stoneman Douglas students. The families of other gun violence victims are also participating in the initiative, with their voices pleading for action from lawmakers. The National Rifle Association did not respond to requests for comment.