OpenAI Sora generates deepfake videos of deceased celebrities
Families of deceased celebrities including Robin Williams and George Carlin reported that OpenAI's Sora video generation system was creating deepfake videos using the likenesses of their deceased relatives. The families requested that OpenAI impose stricter restrictions on platform use, while OpenAI stated it must balance freedom of expression and allows heirs to request image removal.
What happened
OpenAI's Sora, a video generation system launched on 30 September that can create ten-second videos with high realism, began generating deepfake videos of deceased celebrities including Robin Williams, George Carlin, Michael Jackson, and Stephen Hawking.
Zelda Williams, daughter of Robin Williams, posted on Instagram asking people to stop sending her AI videos of her deceased father, calling them 'disgusting imitations' that 'degrade the memory and work of real people.' Kelly Carlin-McColl, daughter of George Carlin, reported receiving daily messages about videos using her father's image on Bluesky, stating 'we're doing what we can to stop it, but it's exhausting and disheartening.'
Reported impact
Families of deceased celebrities reported emotional distress and stated they are attempting to stop the spread of unauthorized deepfakes of their relatives.
Index analysis
OpenAI responded to criticism by stating it must balance freedom of expression, which permits creating videos of historical or known figures. The company said heirs or legal representatives of deceased public figures can request image removal from Sora, without specifying what constitutes 'recent' death.
Governance controls
OpenAI indicated a process exists for heirs or legal representatives of deceased public figures to request removal of images from the Sora platform, though the criteria for eligibility remain undefined.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.