OpenAI pauses MLK deepfake videos on Sora after users post disrespectful content
On Thursday night OpenAI said it’s “paused” the Martin Luther King Jr. deepfakes that showed up on its Sora app after a handful of users posted videos that many called disrespectful. The company’s statement hints the halt is only temporary - they want to look over the clips and rethink how they treat historical figures in general.
The AI can look convincing, sure, but the reaction suggests not every synthetic portrait will be accepted. OpenAI also mentioned that estates or representatives of other famous people will now have a way to opt out of having their likenesses used in similar projects. What’s fuzzy is how that opt-out will actually work, or how many will choose it.
It feels like a reminder that the freedom to create on platforms like Sora runs up against the need to honor the legacies of people whose images get repurposed by algorithms. We’ll have to see whether the policy tweaks keep the balance or just add another layer of complexity.
OpenAI said on Thursday night that it has “paused” deepfakes of Martin Luther King Jr. on its social app Sora after users created “disrespectful” AI-generated videos of the late civil rights leader. It said representatives or estates of other historical figures will now be able to opt out of their likeness being used on the platform.
OpenAI suspends MLK deepfakes on Sora after ‘disrespectful’ videos OpenAI now says that estates and representatives for public figures can opt out of Sora videos. OpenAI now says that estates and representatives for public figures can opt out of Sora videos. The company said it acted following complaints from King’s estate and his daughter, Bernice King, who asked people on social media to stop sending her AI videos of her father.
King is one of many deceased celebrities and historical figures whose likeness has appeared on Sora, often in crude, offensive, and unpleasant ways. OpenAI: So at King, Inc.‘s request, OpenAI has paused generations depicting Dr.
OpenAI has put a stop to Martin Luther King Jr. deepfakes on its Sora platform after a handful of users shared clips that were called disrespectful. The pause is limited to the civil-rights leader, but the company is also offering an opt-out option for estates and reps of other historic figures.
It feels like a move toward tighter control of celebrity look-alikes, yet nobody’s sure how far the rule will stretch. Some critics point out that “disrespectful” is a pretty fuzzy term, and it’s unclear whether similar videos of other public people would get the same treatment. OpenAI didn’t say how many videos were taken down, nor did it spell out the moderation steps it will use to block future breaches.
Giving families an opt-out could hand them more say, but the whole setup still leans on user-generated AI, which leaves a lot of oversight questions hanging. While the feature stays on hold, developers and creators will have to keep an eye out for whatever guidance OpenAI rolls out next about using historical personas.
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Common Questions Answered
Why did OpenAI pause the generation of Martin Luther King Jr. deepfakes on Sora?
OpenAI paused the creation of MLK deepfakes because users posted AI-generated videos of the civil rights leader that the company described as disrespectful. This temporary halt was implemented to review the content and the platform's broader policies concerning historical figures.
What new policy did OpenAI announce for the estates of historical figures on Sora?
OpenAI announced that estates and representatives of historical figures will now have the ability to opt out of having their likeness used on the Sora platform. This policy change was introduced alongside the pause on MLK content as a measure to provide more control over the use of celebrity likenesses.
Is the pause on Martin Luther King Jr. deepfake videos permanent according to OpenAI?
No, the pause is not permanent; OpenAI has described it as a temporary measure. The company is using this time to review the disrespectful content that was posted and to evaluate its broader policy regarding the depiction of historical figures on the Sora app.