OpenAI’s Sora video generation app allows users to create AI deepfakes of deceased celebrities like Michael Jackson, Tupac Shakur, and Malcolm X, despite the company’s stated policy of blocking depictions of public figures. The policy exemption for “historical figures” raises questions about consent, misinformation, and the potential misuse of AI-generated content featuring dead celebrities who cannot approve their digital resurrection.
What you should know: OpenAI explicitly permits AI-generated videos of deceased public figures while blocking living celebrities unless they consent through the Cameos feature.
- Users have created disturbingly realistic deepfakes of Michael Jackson, Bob Ross, Tupac Shakur, and Malcolm X that accurately mimic their voices and facial expressions.
- Some clips even incorporate licensed music, adding another layer of potential copyright complexity.
- The company told PCMag: “We don’t have a comment to add, but we do allow the generation of historical figures.”
The big picture: Sora’s launch as OpenAI’s first social media platform positions it to compete with TikTok while navigating complex ethical and legal boundaries around AI-generated content.
- The invite-only iOS app launched Tuesday with features that could boost its appeal but also expose OpenAI to intellectual property lawsuits.
- Users can also create deepfakes of fictional characters like Nintendo’s Mario and SpongeBob SquarePants, potentially triggering copyright disputes.
Why this matters: The policy creates a concerning precedent where deceased individuals have no protection against AI manipulation, potentially enabling misinformation or content that contradicts their values.
- AI-generated clips could be mistaken for historical fact or used to spread false information about historical figures.
- The technology raises ethical questions about depicting deceased celebrities in scenarios they might not have approved of while alive.
Current safeguards: OpenAI has implemented limited protections while the technology remains in early access.
- All Sora videos currently include watermarks to identify AI-generated content.
- Living public figures can only be depicted with explicit permission through the Cameos feature.
Industry context: OpenAI’s approach contrasts with Google’s previous struggles with AI-generated historical imagery.
- Google faced controversy last year for producing anachronistic historical images, including an African American Founding Father and Asian soldiers in the 1943 German military.
- Google paused people generation for several months to make “technical improvements” after the backlash.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...