OpenAI has blocked users of its Sora 2 artificial intelligence (AI) video application from generating videos featuring Martin Luther King Jr. The action follows the creation of hyper-realistic simulations described by the company as “disrespectful depictions” of the civil rights leader.
Videos circulating online reportedly showed hyper-realistic AI simulations of King engaging in activities such as stealing from a grocery store and fleeing police. Bernice A. King, Dr. King’s youngest child, subsequently contacted the company to request the removal of AI-generated content using her father’s likeness.
Company Statement and Policy Change
In a joint statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, OpenAI and King Estate Inc. confirmed the policy change.
“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,” the statement read. “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.”
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The Sora 2 app, which launched in September 2025, allows users to create hyper-realistic videos. Initially, the platform permitted the generation of content featuring celebrities and historical figures—including Princess Diana, President John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, and Kurt Cobain—without explicit permission.
Previous Concerns Over Likeness
The move to block Dr. King’s likeness is the latest in a series of adjustments made by OpenAI concerning the use of public figures.
Earlier, after AI-generated videos of Robin Williams became widespread, the late actor’s daughter, Zelda Williams, publicly urged people to stop creating and sharing videos using her father’s image.
“Please, just stop sending me AI videos of my dad,” Williams wrote in an Instagram post, as reported by Variety, adding that it was “NOT what he’d want.” She further criticized the technology, stating, “AI is just badly recycling and regurgitating the past to be re-consumed.”
Following the app’s launch and the related controversies, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced updates to the platform. These changes allow rights holders to choose whether their likeness can appear in AI-generated videos, shifting from a default-permission model. OpenAI previously made similar adjustments to its ChatGPT platform after criticism arose over the ingestion of copyrighted content without consent.
The broader AI industry, including OpenAI, has faced criticism from Hollywood studios and unions regarding both insufficient safety measures and the unauthorized use of actors’ likenesses, alongside fears that AI technology could ultimately displace human talent.
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