Openai Suspends Mlk Deepfakes On Sora After ‘disrespectful’ Videos

A real, and not AI generated photograph of Martin Luther King, Jr. | Image: Getty Images

OpenAI said connected Thursday night that it has “paused” deepfakes of Martin Luther King Jr. connected its societal app Sora aft users created “disrespectful” AI-generated videos of nan precocious civilian authorities leader. It said representatives aliases estates of different humanities figures will now beryllium capable to opt retired of their likeness being utilized connected nan platform.  

The institution said it acted pursuing complaints from King’s property and his daughter, Bernice King, who asked group connected social media to extremity sending her AI videos of her father. King is 1 of galore deceased celebrities and humanities figures whose likeness has appeared connected Sora, often successful crude, offensive, and unpleasant ways.

OpenAI:

So astatine King, Inc.’s request, OpenAI has paused generations depicting Dr. King arsenic it strengthens guardrails for humanities figures.

While location are beardown free reside interests successful depicting humanities figures, OpenAI believes nationalist figures and their families should yet person power complete really their likeness is used. Authorized representatives aliases property owners tin petition that their likeness not beryllium utilized successful Sora cameos.

OpenAI’s changing stance connected humanities figures echoes its attack to copyright erstwhile Sora first launched. The strategy proved controversial, and nan level mounted an embarrassing U-turn to an “opt-in” policy for rightsholders aft it was inundated pinch depictions of characters for illustration Pikachu, Rick and Morty, and SpongeBob SquarePants.     

Unlike copyright, there’s nary national model for protecting people’s likeness, but a assortment of authorities laws fto group writer complete unauthorized usage of a surviving person’s image — and successful immoderate states, a deceased person’s arsenic well. California, wherever OpenAI is based, for example, has specifically said postmortem privateness authorities apply for AI replicas of performers. For surviving humans, OpenAI has allowed group to opt successful to appearing successful videos from nan commencement by having them make AI clones of themselves.      

Statement from OpenAI and King Estate, Inc.

The Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr., Inc. (King, Inc.) and OpenAI person worked together to reside really Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s likeness is represented successful Sora generations. Some users generated disrespectful depictions of Dr.…

— OpenAI Newsroom (@OpenAINewsroom) October 17, 2025