OpenAI has temporarily suspended Sora, a deepfake video generator that creates videos resembling the late Martin Luther King Jr., after some users created 'disrespectful depictions' of him and his estate requested that it be taken down.



On October 16, 2025, OpenAI announced that it had temporarily suspended the creation of deepfake videos of Martin Luther King Jr. on the social app Sora. This was due to complaints from King's estate and family members about the large number of AI-generated videos depicting him.



OpenAI pauses Sora video generations of Martin Luther King Jr. | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/16/openai-pauses-sora-video-generations-of-martin-luther-king-jr/

OpenAI pauses MLK deepfakes on Sora after 'disrespectful' videos | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/news/801539/open-ai-sora-mlk

OpenAI's Sora 2, the latest video generation AI at the time of writing, was found to be capable of generating videos featuring anime and video game content without the permission of the copyright holders. The ability to output Japanese anime and video games has become particularly problematic, and the Japanese government has officially requested OpenAI not to infringe on copyrights.

The Japanese government has called Japanese intellectual property such as anime and games 'irreplaceable treasures' and officially requested OpenAI not to infringe on copyrights, which has become a hot topic overseas - GIGAZINE



Another problem with OpenAI's Sora is that it can generate videos featuring real people. For example, actor Zelda Williams caused a stir in 2014 when she wrote on her Instagram story in response to fans sending her AI videos of her late father, actor Robin Williams, saying, 'Please, stop sending me AI videos of my dad. Stop believing that I want to see them or understand them. I don't want to see them or understand them.'

And Martin Luther King's daughter, Bernice King, responded to Zelda Williams' story on Instagram, saying, 'I agree with my father. Stop it.'




In fact, Sora can generate movies featuring historical figures, and countless movies featuring Dr. King have been generated.



There is even a video of Dr. King screaming like a monkey.



Sora has also generated many movies featuring deceased people, such as President John F. Kennedy, John Lennon, and painter Bob Ross.



Unlike copyright, there is apparently no national framework for protecting publicity rights in the United States, but state laws allow lawsuits to be filed against the unauthorized use of the likeness of living people, and in some states, the likeness of deceased people. For example, California, where OpenAI is based, explicitly states that AI replicas of actors have a right to privacy after death.

'While there are strong free speech rights surrounding the depiction of historical figures, OpenAI believes that celebrities and their families should ultimately control how their likeness is used. Authorized representatives or estate owners can request that Sora not use their likeness,' OpenAI said.

TechCrunch, an IT news site, requested comment from the licensing authority of the Martin Luther King Jr. Foundation, but did not receive a response.

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in AI,   Video,   Web Service, Posted by log1i_yk