{"id":6027,"date":"2025-10-17T16:15:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T16:15:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/openai-bans-mlk-deepfakes\/"},"modified":"2025-10-17T16:15:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T16:15:14","slug":"openai-bans-mlk-deepfakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/openai-bans-mlk-deepfakes\/","title":{"rendered":"OpenAI Bans MLK Deepfakes After Disaster"},"content":{"rendered":"
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OpenAI was seemingly caught off guard by the controversy stemming from its new text-to-video app, Sora 2, as it rapidly became the number one place for tasteless videos of deceased celebrities being mercilessly mocked<\/a>.<\/p>\n

From videos of famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, who passed away seven years ago, being punched bloody<\/a> by a UFC fighter, to Elvis Presley collapsing on stage and loudly passing gas<\/a>, Sora has quickly emerged as a popular destination for pranksters tarnishing the legacy of some of the most prominent figures in history.<\/p>\n

Civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. \u2014 who was assassinated in 1968 \u2014 became a major target as well<\/a>, appearing in videos of him rickrolling the audience<\/a> or calling for the release of the Epstein files<\/a> during his famous \u201cI Have a Dream\u201d speech.<\/p>\n

\u201cTen, ten, ten, twenties on them t*****s, b***,\u201d he tells the crowd in a separate video<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, OpenAI announced that it had shut down depictions of Dr. King after an outcry from his estate.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome users generated disrespectful depictions of Dr. King\u2019s image,\u201d the short statement reads. \u201cSo at King, Inc.\u2019s request, OpenAI has paused generations depicting Dr. King as it strengthens guardrails for historical figures.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether OpenAI would\u2019ve taken action without that pressure is doubtful. Instead, they seem to be cracking down on distasteful generations only if they result in embarrassment for the company.<\/p>\n

The news comes after Bernice King, Dr. King\u2019s daughter,\u00a0publicly pleaded<\/a>\u00a0for AI-generated videos of her father to stop.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a notable escalation following weeks of OpenAI allowing for a disastrous free-for-all. At first, the company promised in its\u00a0safety documentation<\/a> that it would \u201ctake measures to block depictions of public figures.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it left a window open: for public figures who were already dead, it was open season \u2014 meaning the company was building hype off the mockery of those who are no longer capable of advocating for themselves, let alone giving consent to appear in AI-generated clips.<\/p>\n

At last, OpenAI is softening that approach, a spokesperson told NBC News<\/em><\/a> over the weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile 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,\u201d the company wrote in its latest statement. \u201cAuthorized representatives or estate owners can request that their likeness not be used in Sora cameos.\u201d<\/p>\n

The comments represent a further retreat. Initially, OpenAI\u2019s eyebrow-raising policy<\/a> was that rightsholders would have to \u201copt out\u201d of having their intellectual property appear in Sora videos (the company soon reversed course<\/a>, but plenty of confusion among rightsholders remains<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Still, the company\u2019s latest move drew plenty of criticism, with many arguing that it should\u2019ve gone with an opt-in model instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf OpenAI believes public figures and families should have control over their likeness, then you should ask for consent before you include them in your dataset, you bozos,\u201d one user tweeted<\/a> in response.<\/p>\n

More on mocking the dead:<\/strong> People Are Using OpenAI\u2019s Sora to Mock the Dead<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The post OpenAI Bans MLK Deepfakes After Disaster<\/a> appeared first on Futurism<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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