Worshippers at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, were left stunned last weekend when Pastor Jack Graham played what sounded like a posthumous message from conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The clip, which urged listeners to “pick up your cross, and get back in the fight,” drew thunderous applause and even a standing ovation. But it wasn’t Kirk speaking from beyond the grave — it was an AI-cloned version of his voice, crafted from chatbot prompts.
Graham made clear before playing the audio that it was artificial. Even so, the moment went viral, echoing across other megachurches such as Dream City Church in Arizona and Awaken Church in California, where congregations reacted with similar fervour.
The clip is part of a wider flood of AI-generated content that surged within hours of Kirk’s killing. Supporters shared doctored videos and images of the Trump ally on platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and X. Many depicted him in overtly religious settings — embracing Jesus, walking in heaven with saints, or praying beneath scripture. Others portrayed him alongside assassinated figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and John F. Kennedy.
Some of the AI creations carried political messages. One video showed Kirk comforting Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee recently slain in North Carolina, while another depicted him in heaven proclaiming solidarity between the U.S. and Israel.
The phenomenon has split opinion. Critics blasted the digital resurrection as crass and misleading, while mourners say the AI tributes offer comfort, with one influencer even moved to tears by the fake voice.
What’s clear is that Kirk’s death has triggered not just grief, but a new form of online memorialisation: hyperreal, AI-generated reconstructions that blur the line between remembrance and fabrication.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
