Zelda Williams, known for her roles as an actress and director and the daughter of the late actor Robin Williams, recently took to Instagram to express her strong disapproval of what she described as “disgusting” artificial intelligence (AI) recreations of her father.
In a now-expired Instagram story, Zelda made a plea for people to refrain from sending her AI-generated videos of her dad, emphasizing that she does not want to see them and will not appreciate them. She warned that she would block individuals attempting to upset her and urged for decency in refraining from such actions, stating that it is not in line with her father’s wishes.
Robin Williams passed away in 2014 at the age of 63, with an autopsy revealing he had Lewy body dementia. Zelda criticized the reduction of real individuals’ legacies into mere resemblances for the sake of creating content, describing it as a disrespectful and wasteful practice that trivializes the lives of people and the art and music they contributed to.
This is not the first time Zelda has spoken out against AI recreations of her father. In 2023, she raised concerns when the American acting union SAG-AFTRA addressed AI as a crucial negotiation topic during a strike. She found the AI-generated recreations personally disturbing and a violation of artistic integrity that extends beyond her own sentiments.
The debate surrounding AI recreations of real individuals has been ongoing for years, with instances like deepfake videos and digitally resurrected figures sparking discussions. The emergence of generative AI tools has raised existential questions across various art industries, from AI-assisted literary works winning awards to the creation of AI-generated music and synthetic performers.
In Hollywood, the impact of AI tools on the film industry is a significant concern, leading to negotiations between unions and studios to acknowledge the importance of human performance in movies. The controversy surrounding synthetic performers like Tilly Norwood, an AI-created “actress,” has further fueled the discussion on the ethical boundaries of AI in entertainment.
As debates continue between unions, studios, and creators, the proliferation of generative AI programs accessible to the public has resulted in a surge of AI-generated content. The recent launch of Sora 2 by OpenAI, a text-to-video AI model promising realistic results, has raised copyright concerns and sparked debates on the ethical use of AI-generated content.
Legal battles have ensued, with Disney and Universal taking action against AI image generators for alleged copyright infringement. Filmmakers and industry figures have also voiced their criticisms of AI-generated content, with concerns about the lack of humanity and authenticity in AI-driven creations.
The ongoing dialogue surrounding AI in entertainment highlights the complexities and ethical considerations that arise with the advancement of technology in the creative industry.
