OpenAI halts depictions of MLK after 'disrespectful' Sora videos

Shona Ghosh, Bloomberg News on Oct 17, 2025

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OpenAI has paused depictions of Martin Luther King Jr. after users generated “disrespectful” deepfake videos of the civil rights leader using its artificial intelligence tool Sora.

“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 in a statement posted to X.

OpenAI said it took action following complaints from King’s estate. “Some users generated disrespectful depictions of Dr. King’s image,” the company said.

One fake video posted beneath OpenAI’s statement depicts King swearing during the famed “I have a dream” speech and complaining about beeping from smoke alarm detectors.

Other high-profile figures and their representatives will be able to opt out of appearing in Sora videos, OpenAI added.

King’s estate did not immediately respond to a request for comment. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The policy change marks a more cautious approach from OpenAI after a fairly freewheeling approach to depictions of famous figures and intellectual property.

The company released Sora, which generates realistic-looking video in response to text prompts, last year. The release opened a new frontier in AI creativity, but also provoked concerns about misinformation and AI slop. In September, it debuted a standalone social app for sharing Sora videos.

Zelda Williams, daughter of actor Robin Williams, has publicly complained about fans sending her AI-generated videos of her late father, describing the material as “Tiktok slop” in an Instagram post earlier this month.

Last year, OpenAI withdrew an AI voice called “Sky” from its offering after actress Scarlett Johansson complained that it was “eerily similar” to her own. She had previously declined a request from the company’s Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman to provide her voice for the audio feature.

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