OpenAI’s new text-to-video tool, Sora 2, allows users to create realistic videos of deceased public figures, leading to widespread criticism and distress among their families. Tatum Hunter and Drew Harwell report for The Washington Post that a wave of crude, disrespectful, and racist AI-generated clips has spread across social media since the tool’s launch.
The videos depict historical figures in fabricated scenarios. Examples include civil rights leader Malcolm X making crude jokes and artist Bob Ross painting the World Trade Center in flames. Other clips show basketball star Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash simulation and Martin Luther King Jr. making monkey noises during his famous speech.
The families of the deceased are horrified. Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X, called the use of her father’s image “deeply disrespectful and hurtful”. Similarly, Zelda Williams, daughter of actor Robin Williams, pleaded with people to stop creating and sharing AI videos of her father, describing the practice as “maddening”.
OpenAI initially exempted “historical figures” from its consent policy, citing free speech interests. After the backlash, the company announced it would allow representatives of “recently deceased” figures to request that a person’s likeness be blocked from the tool.
The situation highlights a complex legal gray area. While the postmortem right of publicity can prevent commercial exploitation, it offers little protection against parody or non-commercial use. Legal experts note that existing laws may not adequately address the emotional harm experienced by family members, raising fundamental questions about who controls a person’s legacy after death.