OpenAI Strengthens Sora Protections Following Celebrity Deepfake Concerns

Sora, OpenAI's AI video app, will no longer allow users to create videos featuring celebrity likenesses or voices.

openai sora app
OpenAI, SAG-AFTRA, actor Bryan Cranston, United Talent Agency, Creative Artists Agency, and Association of Talent Agents today shared a joint statement about "productive collaboration" to ensure voice and likeness protections in content generated with Sora 2 and the Sora app.

Cranston raised concerns about Sora after users were able to create deepfakes that featured his likeness without consent or compensation. Families of Robin Williams, George Carlin, and Martin Luther King Jr. also complained to OpenAI about the Sora app.

OpenAI has an "opt-in" policy for the use of a living person's voice and likeness, but Sora users were able to create videos of Cranston even though he had not permitted his likeness to be used. To fix the issue, OpenAI has strengthened guardrails around the replication of voice and likeness without express consent.

Artists, performers, and individuals are meant to have the right to determine how and whether they can be simulated with Sora. Along with the new guardrails, OpenAI has also agreed to respond "expeditiously" to any received complaints going forward.

OpenAI first tweaked Sora late last week to respond to complaints from the family of Martin Luther King Jr., and the company said that it would strengthen guardrails for historical figures. OpenAI said there are "strong free speech interests" in depicting deceased historical and public figures, but authorized representatives or estate owners can request that their likeness not be used on Sora cameos.

Sora launched on September 30, and it has since become one of the most popular apps in the App Store.

Tag: OpenAI

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Top Rated Comments

goobot Avatar
17 weeks ago
In all honesty ai like this shouldn’t be made available to the public, the only purpose of this app is to make fake videos of people, like what positive affect can that have on society.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Darmok N Jalad Avatar
17 weeks ago
Forget celebrities, this sort of tool can quickly ruin the life of the common person. Just imagine someone making a fake video of you doing something offensive, and then post it on social media. Before you could defend yourself, you'd be executed by the court of public opinion. Even if there was a retraction or correction, too late, damage done. Soon we will get to a place where we believe nothing we see or hear, unless it's happening right in front of us.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
17 weeks ago
Garbage company.

I hope they struggle and die off quite frankly.

Leeches on society.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iFanaddic Avatar
17 weeks ago
i'm afraid that's too little too late to prevent this dystopian future were all headed towards
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
17 weeks ago
It's absolutely insane to me that any company would actually allow you to create deepfakes of anybody for any reason. It's completely irresponsible.

... but that's 2025 for you, I guess.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
17 weeks ago
absolutely disgusting and reprehensible use of technology, electric power, water, etc. Can't wait till this AI bubble pops
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)