Fentanyl-related deaths in Kansas City, Mo., are up by an alarming 1,190% over the past five years. To raise awareness of the epidemic, the city and its local United Way chapter teamed up with independent agency BarkleyOKRP on an artificial-intelligence-powered campaign.
The campaign, “Unfinished Legacies,” uses AI and deepfake technology to re-create the images, voices and likenesses of three victims of the epidemic, who died after mistakenly taking pills laced with fentanyl:
- Jaden Anderson, a young woman who cared deeply for her family and wanted to become a nurse one day.
- Victor Avalos Marmolejo, a teenager with a big heart who was on track to become a successful entrepreneur.
- Jordan Coburn, a loving young father who left behind a growing family.
BarkleyOKRP used AI to superimpose the victims’ images and voices over actors who resembled each of them.
The victims’ families approved the use of their loved ones’ images and likenesses in the campaign and worked with the agency to share their stories. In the three ads that make up the campaign, each re-created victim expresses their regrets “in candid and highly emotional monologues,” according to a release.
The agency said it was steered in the direction of an AI-powered campaign after its research found that the target audience of 18- through 35-year-olds regularly listen to and take advice from their peers, but do not want to be told what to do by government agencies.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas introduced “Unfinished Legacies” at a community event on Thursday, along with representatives from the Kansas City Overdose Review Board, the United Way of Greater Kansas City, families of victims of fentanyl overdoses, and other local organizations.
In addition, 1,000 units of overdose prevention drug Naloxone were distributed at the event.
“Each loss to fentanyl is a tragedy that shakes our entire community,” Lucas said in a statement. “By harnessing the power of the latest in modern technology, we’re giving these young people a chance to leave a legacy and one with the power to save lives. ‘Unfinished Legacies’ is not about using scare tactics—it’s about honesty, education and storytelling.”