Zelda Williams condemns AI-generated deepfake video of late father Robin Williams
Zelda Williams condemned an AI-generated deepfake video that falsely depicted her deceased father Robin Williams discussing conspiracy theories. She called on the creator to stop using her father's likeness without consent and criticized the broader practice of using AI to recreate deceased performers who cannot authorize such use.
What happened
An AI-generated video circulated online falsely depicting Robin Williams, the late actor and comedian, discussing conspiracy theories. Zelda Williams, his daughter, confirmed the video was AI-generated, stating the voice was 'robotic and terrible' and noting that Robin Williams would never have consented to such a use of his likeness.
Reported impact
Zelda Williams expressed frustration that her father's likeness was being used without consent, calling the practice disrespectful to his memory and legacy. She described the incident as part of a broader pattern where people have used AI to recreate her father despite his inability to consent, and noted that the video falsely attributed statements to her late father to manipulate public perception.
Index analysis
The deepfake depicted Robin Williams making statements he never made, using a synthetic voice and AI-generated imagery to lend false credibility to misinformation. Zelda Williams highlighted that the creator deliberately used her deceased father's image to make a case that the creator could not make credibly on their own merits.
Governance controls
Zelda Williams has previously called for broader protections against unauthorized AI recreation of deceased performers, noting in 2023 that people have sought to train AI models to recreate actors who cannot consent. She advocates for the importance of allowing living actors to control their own likenesses and performances rather than having them replicated by AI systems.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.