you can’t libel the dead. but that doesn’t mean you should deepfake them.

Zelda Williams Addresses AI Deepfakes of Her Father

Zelda Williams, the daughter of the late Robin Williams, has issued a heartfelt plea to his fans regarding the proliferation of AI-generated videos featuring his likeness.

In a recent Instagram story post on Monday, she expressed her distress, stating, “Please, simply cease sending me AI-created videos of Dad.” She further clarified, “Do not assume I desire to view them, nor will I find them acceptable.”

The Rise of Realistic Deepfakes

Williams’ statement arrives shortly after the launch of OpenAI’s Sora 2 video model and the accompanying Sora social application.

These tools empower users to create remarkably lifelike deepfakes, depicting themselves, acquaintances, and even fictional characters with unprecedented realism.

Notably, this technology extends to recreating deceased individuals, a practice that currently faces no legal restrictions regarding defamation, as outlined by the Student Press Law Center.

Sora's Limitations and Loopholes

Sora currently restricts the generation of videos featuring living individuals, with exceptions made for self-portrayal or depictions of those who have granted explicit permission – termed “cameos” by OpenAI.

However, these safeguards do not apply to the deceased, who can largely be replicated without impediment.

The application, presently available by invitation only, has been inundated with depictions of historical figures such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Richard Nixon, alongside late celebrities like Bob Ross, John Lennon, Alex Trebek, and Robin Williams.

The criteria OpenAI employs to determine which deceased individuals can be digitally recreated remain ambiguous.

While Sora 2 does not generate videos of recently deceased figures like former President Jimmy Carter or Michael Jackson, it has successfully produced videos featuring Robin Williams, as confirmed by tests conducted by TechCrunch.

Crucially, the deceased lack the ability to establish guidelines for their digital representation, unlike the “cameo” feature which allows living individuals to control their likeness.

Legal and Ethical Concerns

TechCrunch’s inquiries to OpenAI regarding the permissibility of deepfaking deceased individuals received no response.

However, it is plausible that such practices fall within the company’s acceptable use policies, given the legal precedent suggesting limited liability for defamation of the deceased.

Williams powerfully articulated her frustration, stating, “To witness the legacies of genuine people reduced to a superficial resemblance, solely for the purpose of creating exploitative content, is deeply upsetting.”

Broader Implications and Copyright Issues

Critics accuse OpenAI of adopting a lenient stance on these issues, contributing to the rapid proliferation of AI-generated clips featuring copyrighted characters like Peter Griffin and Pikachu upon Sora’s release.

Initially, CEO Sam Altman proposed that Hollywood studios and agencies would need to actively opt-out to prevent their intellectual property from being incorporated into Sora-generated videos.

The Motion Picture Association swiftly responded, urging OpenAI to address this issue and affirming the protection of creators’ rights under established copyright law.

Altman has since indicated a reversal of this initial position.

The Dangers of Unfettered Deepfake Technology

Sora represents the most advanced publicly accessible deepfake AI model to date, owing to the exceptional realism of its outputs.

While other platforms like xAI currently lag behind in terms of realism, they often exhibit even fewer safeguards, enabling the creation of explicit deepfakes of real people.

As competing companies advance their technologies, we risk establishing a dangerous precedent by treating both the living and the deceased as mere tools for entertainment.