You can’t libel the dead. But that doesn’t mean you should deepfake them.

Zelda Williams, the daughter of the iconic actor Robin Williams, has taken to social media to express her distress over the use of artificial intelligence in creating deepfake videos of her late father. In an emotional Instagram story, she urged fans to refrain from sending her AI-generated videos, stating, "Please, just stop sending me AI videos of Dad. Stop believing I wanna see it or that I’ll understand. I don’t and I won’t." She continued, emphasizing the impact of such actions on both herself and her father's legacy, saying, "If you’ve got any decency, just stop doing this to him and to me, to everyone even, full stop. It’s dumb, it’s a waste of time and energy, and believe me, it’s NOT what he’d want." Her comments surfaced shortly after the launch of OpenAI’s Sora 2 video model and Sora social app, which enable users to create hyper-realistic deepfakes. While the app prohibits generating content featuring living individuals without their consent, it appears to be unrestricted when it comes to deceased figures, leading to a surge in deepfakes of historical and entertainment icons, including Robin Williams himself. The absence of legal repercussions for defaming the deceased raises concerns about the ethical implications of such technology. Williams highlighted the issue, reflecting on how the legacies of real individuals are being trivialized into mere digital caricatures for entertainment. She noted, "To watch the legacies of real people be condensed down to ‘this vaguely looks and sounds like them,’ just so other people can churn out horrible TikTok slop puppeteering them is maddening." Sora's development has sparked debate over intellectual property rights, especially with the Motion Picture Association urging OpenAI to reconsider its approach. Initially, CEO Sam Altman suggested that studios would need to opt-out to protect their intellectual property, but he later indicated that the company would revise this stance. As technology evolves, the ease of creating realistic deepfakes poses a serious ethical dilemma. Zelda Williams’ heartfelt plea serves as a reminder of the responsibilities that come with such powerful tools, urging a more respectful approach to the memories of those who have passed away.