OpenAI’s Sora video app has rapidly gained traction by letting users generate realistic clips of deceased public figures, triggering a backlash from families and fresh legal scrutiny. Estates of public figures, including Martin Luther King Jr., Robin Williams and George Carlin, object to what they call disrespectful portrayals, while legal scholars warn that unsettled questions—such as whether Section 230 shields AI platforms—could shape liability. OpenAI has paused depictions of King and plans an opt-out process for “recently deceased” figures as it tweaks guardrails and copyright policies. Experts say postmortem publicity rights in states like New York, California and Tennessee present risks for users who monetize such content, even as OpenAI frames Sora as entertainment with watermarking to avoid deception. The controversy underscores the broader fight over who controls likeness in the age of synthetic media and how platforms will be held accountable.
Related articles:
— Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act
— Deepfake
— New York Civil Rights Law §50-f: Deceased Individuals’ Right of Publicity
— California Civil Code §3344.1 (Celebrities Rights Act)
