OpenAI announced on Thursday that it has paused the ability for users of its AI video model, Sora, to generate videos that resemble the late civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. The company stated this action was taken at the request of Dr. King’s estate after some users created “disrespectful depictions” of his image.
In a post from its official newsroom account on X, OpenAI said, “While there are strong free speech interests in depicting historical figures, OpenAI believes public figures and their families should ultimately have control over how their likeness is used.” The company added, “Authorized representatives or estate owners can request that their likeness not be used in Sora cameos.”
This restriction follows the launch of the Sora social video platform a few weeks earlier. The platform allows users to create realistic AI-generated videos resembling historical figures, friends, and other users who opt-in to have their likeness recreated. The launch has prompted public debate regarding the potential dangers of AI-generated videos and the necessity for platforms to implement safeguards.
Last week, Dr. King’s daughter, Dr. Bernice King, posted on Instagram asking people to stop sending her AI videos that resembled her father. Similarly, Robin Williams’ daughter requested that Sora users stop creating AI videos of her father.
The Washington Post reported earlier this week that Sora users had produced AI-generated videos depicting Dr. King making monkey noises and wrestling with fellow civil rights leader Malcolm X. The Sora app also contains crude videos resembling other historical figures, including artist Bob Ross, singer Whitney Houston, and former President John F. Kennedy.
The licensor of Dr. King’s estate had not immediately responded to a request for comment from TechCrunch. The launch of Sora has also raised questions about how social media platforms should manage AI-generated videos of copyrighted material, as the app contains videos featuring cartoons such as SpongeBob, South Park, and Pokémon.
