OpenAI has temporarily stopped users from creating AI-generated videos of Martin Luther King Jr. on its Sora app following complaints from the civil rights icon’s family.
In a statement shared on X, the company said it’s pausing the feature while it works to “strengthen guardrails for historical figures.” OpenAI did not specify how long the pause will last or who will oversee these new protections.
“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,” the company said. “Authorized representatives or estate owners can request that their likeness not be used in Sora cameos.”
OpenAI also expressed appreciation to Dr. Bernice A. King for reaching out on behalf of King, Inc., and thanked John Hope Bryant and the AI Ethics Council for helping foster dialogue around these issues.
Since the release of Sora 2 in September, users have sparked a trend of generating hyper-realistic videos featuring deceased celebrities, including Kobe Bryant, Malcolm X, and Tupac Shakur.
Earlier this month, Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter, Bernice King, urged people to stop creating AI videos featuring her father.
Her plea came after she shared a post referencing Robin Williams’ daughter, Zelda, who had previously spoken out against AI-generated clips of her late father.
“Stop believing I wanna see it or that I’ll understand, I don’t and I won’t,” Zelda wrote. “If you’re just trying to troll me, I’ve seen way worse, I’ll restrict and move on.”
She continued, “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.”
Bernice reposted a screenshot of Zelda’s message on Instagram, adding her own note beneath it: “I concur concerning my father. Please stop.”
Recent AI-generated videos have shown virtual versions of Martin Luther King Jr. in unrealistic scenarios — such as eating a seafood boil with Malcolm X, appearing on doorbell footage with John F. Kennedy, and posing in lavish jewelry.
