Zelda Williams Issues Stern Message: Stop AI Videos About Her Late Father

Staff Reporter | PNN

Zelda Williams, daughter of the late actor Robin Williams, has issued a firm message to fans asking them to stop sending AI-generated videos related to her father. On Monday, she wrote on her Instagram story, “Please, do not send me any AI videos about my father. This is not for me to watch or understand. If there is any respect left, stop this for their sake, mine, and everyone else’s. It is a waste of time and energy, and believe me, my father would not have wanted this.”

She shared this message at a time when OpenAI recently launched its new video model, Sora 2, and the Sora Social app. The app allows users to create highly realistic deepfake videos of themselves, friends, or some cartoon characters. However, for living individuals, users can only create videos of themselves or authorized friends. No such restriction applies to deceased individuals.

The Sora app has already been used to create videos of people such as Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, and the late celebrity Robin Williams. Zelda Williams stated that this shows a lack of respect toward her father, calling such deepfake creation “madness.”

Critics of OpenAI have raised concerns that the company is not cautious enough regarding such matters. After the release of Sora 2, videos featuring copyrighted characters began appearing. OpenAI has clarified that studios or agencies must explicitly object if they do not want videos made of their IP.

Experts note that Sora 2 is the most realistic AI deepfake model currently available to the public. Its use raises new ethical concerns about treating living or deceased individuals as artificial “playthings.”

Zelda Williams’ remarks have sparked renewed discussions about AI and ethics, particularly regarding the artificial reconstruction of images and voices of deceased people.