OpenAI’s Sora 2 has banned the use of celebrity likenesses and copyrighted characters in its AI-generated videos after mounting backlash from celebrities and entertainment leaders.
Sora 2 creates AI-generated videos using text prompts and uploaded likenesses. Users can scroll through these videos on a social video platform modeled after TikTok.
The initial release of the platform allowed users to use the images of actors who had not opted in or uploaded their likenesses at all. One viral video showed Michael Jackson taking a selfie with Bryan Cranston as his character, Walter White.
Well, this seemingly (and justifiably) upset Cranston, who reported it to SAG.
And he’s not the only celebrity to complain. Zelda Williams, daughter of the late Robin Williams, posted online that people needed to stop sending her generated videos of her father.
“Please, just stop sending me AI videos of Dad,” Zelda Williams posted on her Instagram Stories (via BBC). “Stop believing I wanna see it or that I’ll understand, I don’t and I won’t. If you’re just trying to troll me, I’ve seen way worse. I’ll restrict and move on. But please, if you’ve got any decency, just stop doing this to him and to me, to everyone, even, full stop. It’s dumb, it’s a waste of time and energy, and believe me, it’s NOT what he’d want.”
We’ve recently seen statements standing up against the AI tool from talent agencies like CAA and organizations like the Motion Picture Association, too.
OpenAI Walks Back Celebrity Deepfakes
In response, OpenAI is working to limit the use of celebrity likenesses.
On Monday, Cranston gave a statement through SAG-AFTRA. (The release is a joint statement from SAG, OpenAI, Cranston, United Talent Agency, Creative Artists Agency, and Association of Talent Agents.)
“I was deeply concerned not just for myself, but for all performers whose work and identity can be misused in this way,” the actor said. “I am grateful to OpenAI for its policy and for improving its guardrails, and hope that they, and all of the companies involved in this work, respect our personal and professional right to manage replication of our voice and likeness.”
SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin said, “Bryan Cranston is one of countless performers whose voice and likeness are in danger of massive misappropriation by replication technology. Bryan did the right thing by communicating with his union and his professional representatives to have the matter addressed.”
Astin called the step a “positive resolution.”
“I’m glad that OpenAI has committed to using an opt-in protocol, where all artists have the ability to choose whether they wish to participate in the exploitation of their voice and likeness using A.I. This policy must be durable, and I thank all of the stakeholders, including OpenAI, for working together to have the appropriate protections enshrined in law.”
However, There’s a Loophole
As Newsweek points out, it seems Sora users are still able to generate videos of deceased celebrities. We already mentioned Robin Williams, but there are also videos featuring Elvis, Tupac, the Queen, Martin Luther King Jr., and more.
OpenAI had to address the issue with King’s estate, which protested the videos containing the civil rights leader.
In a social media post on Oct. 16, the company said, “Some users generated disrespectful depictions of Dr. King’s image. So at King, Inc.’s request, OpenAI has paused generations depicting Dr. King as it strengthens guardrails for historical figures. While 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. Authorized representatives or estate owners can request that their likeness not be used in Sora cameos.”
It’s unclear what protections are in place for public figures who have no remaining family or an estate overseeing their image.
We’ll keep an eye on the story.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source nofilmschool.com ’
