AI creates offensive video when 'reviving' the dead

OpenAI's new video creation tool is sending celebrity families into a crisis as images of deceased loved ones are "resurrected" by AI in offensive, distorted, and sometimes humiliating videos.

AI-generated videos of deceased people, from Malcolm X to Whitney Houston to Kobe Bryant, have caused a stir, raising questions about ethical boundaries and image control in the age of AI.

Offensive content

Ilyasah Shabazz, the daughter of civil rights activist Malcolm X, says she doesn't want to see any AI-generated clips of her father. These videos were made using Sora 2, OpenAI's newly released text-to-video tool, to create scenes of Malcolm X telling crude jokes and arguing with the Reverend Martin Luther King.

“It is disrespectful and heartbreaking to see my father’s image exploited in such a senseless way. I don’t understand why the people who develop this technology don’t act with the same conscience and care they would for their own family,” Shabazz told the Washington Post .

Sora 2 creates videos from images of deceased people without permission. Photo: Bloomberg .

Sora 2 quickly became a global phenomenon thanks to its ability to create incredibly realistic videos. Within days of its launch, the app shot to the top of the download charts. However, its rapid spread also meant that a series of fake celebrity videos appeared on social media.

The "resurrected" images of Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and Amy Winehouse spread at a dizzying speed, leaving many viewers unable to distinguish between real and fake.

Some videos are meant to be funny, like the one where “Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood” host Fred Rogers raps with Tupac Shakur. But much of the content that's created is just too much.

Among them, a video recreating Whitney Houston in a drunken state through a fake angle from a police camera, Kobe Bryant flying in a helicopter in the accident that killed him and his daughter, and former President John F. Kennedy joking about the assassination of a contemporary politician all made the community angry.

Loose regulations

OpenAI’s policy states that the tool can only simulate real people with their consent. However, in its recent launch, the company exempted “historical figures” from this rule, allowing users to freely create videos of deceased people. This decision has angered many families of victims.

Zelda Williams, daughter of the late actor Robin Williams, shared on Instagram that she was constantly sent AI videos of her father and begged people to “please stop.”

“It's crazy to see real people's legacies reduced to horrible antics where TikTok controls them,” Zelda said.

OpenAI's rules on using Sora 2 are full of loopholes. Photo: Bloomberg .

Experts say the phenomenon reflects a turning point in AI technology, where the line between creativity and offense becomes blurred. Henry Ajder, a deepfake researcher, said the “synthetic resurrection” of the dead raises big questions about control of personal image and legacy.

“If you use celebrity images to create content, it will definitely attract views. But with the deceased, it touches on a deeper question: who owns their memories and identity,” Ajder said.

In response to the outcry, OpenAI said it would allow representatives of recently deceased public figures to request that their images be blocked from Sora videos. “We believe that public figures and their families should have control over how their copyrighted images are used,” an OpenAI spokesperson said.

Several organizations in the US entertainment industry have also voiced their concerns. Creative Artists Agency, the management company for many Hollywood stars, said Sora 2 has put customers and intellectual property at serious risk. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) called on OpenAI to take “immediate and decisive” action to protect the rights of creators.

It's not just artists, historical figures have also fallen victim. One video Sora created shows Winston Churchill promoting JetBlue or referencing dirty internet jokes.

Source: https://znews.vn/ai-tao-video-gay-phan-cam-post1593268.html