AI-generated videos of deceased celebrities are going viral online.
Clips appeared on social media this week that appear to show deceased celebrities interacting in real time, including Tupac, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley.
In one clip, 2Pac takes a selfie video with Kobe and Elvis and asks them to say “Havana,” a likely reference to the unsubstantiated conspiracy theory that the rappers are still alive and hiding in Cuba. In another video, all eyes on me An artist who races with the late NBA star.
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2Pac is also seen talking to Jackson, Bruce Lee, and Notorious B.I.G. in other clips that have been circulating on social media.
“They need to regulate this ASAP…creating AI videos and using people's likenesses can quickly turn left-leaning. And people shouldn't be able to monetize it either,” one user wrote.
“Something about this feels weird. It feels weird that random people would make AI videos depicting me a certain way after my death, but maybe it's just me 😅,” another user wrote.
Despite some outrage over the ethics and impact of AI-generated videos, Danity Kane's Aubrey O'Day said she sees the clip as a positive.
“[W]Ild. “It made my heart happy to see a situation of resolution and unity, which will never happen, but I could imagine it,” O'Day wrote earlier this week.
The controversial video arrived before OpenAI made a major policy change regarding its AI video tool Sora 2.
According to Gizmodo, OpenAI recently rescinded its original copyright policy for Sora. Previously, it appeared that users could use copyrighted content unless they opted out.
Following backlash and a statement from the Motion Picture Association of America accusing the tool of potential copyright infringement, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the move to an opt-in model. This change will allow copyright holders to decide how their characters and content can be used.
As noted by 404 Media, social media platforms such as Reddit and X have seen backlash from users frustrated that they can no longer create short videos featuring copyrighted characters. One user on the OpenAI subreddit claimed that this option was “the only reason I enjoyed this app so much.” Meanwhile, another user wrote, “Moral policing and leftist ideology is destroying America's AI industry.”
Robin Williams' daughter Zelda recently asked fans to “stop sending AI videos” of her late father.
“Stop believing that you want to see it or that you can understand it. I don't see it and I'm not going to understand it,” the 36-year-old said. “If you're just trying to make fun of me, I've seen worse. I'll limit and move on. But if you have any decency, stop doing this to him and me and anyone. Stop completely. It's ridiculous, it's a waste of time and energy, and believe me, that's not what he wants.”
Bernice King, Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter, echoed Zelda's message, writing, “I agree with you about my dad. Please stop.”
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