OpenAI and The Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr., Inc. issued a statement stating that due to the inappropriate generation of Martin Luther King Jr.'s image, OpenAI has, at King, Inc.'s request, temporarily suspended the generation of related content in Sora and will strengthen safety barriers related to historical figures during this period. The statement also stated that while the representation of historical figures raises important free speech considerations, OpenAI believes that public figures and their families should have ultimate control over the use of their likeness; authorized representatives or estate administrators can request that their likeness not be used in Sora Cameo.
OpenAI expresses its gratitude to Bernice A. King for contacting King, Inc., and to John Hope Bryant and the AI Ethics Council for facilitating these discussions. Details of the rules, their scope of application, and conditions for reinstatement will be announced later. MLK-related production remains suspended until these new rules are implemented.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the current status of the treatment of MLK’s image?
A: Sora has paused generating images of Martin Luther King Jr. while OpenAI strengthens its safety rules for historical figures.
Q: Who can apply to ban the cameo of a historical figure?
A: Authorized representatives or estate management agencies can submit applications, and OpenAI will process them according to the process.
Q: Does this apply to other historical figures?
A: The statement establishes the principles and channels for handling. The specific list and scope will be subject to subsequent public rules.
Q: Does this conflict with freedom of speech?
A: The statement points out the need to strike a balance between freedom of expression and portrait control, and to strengthen protection of content related to historical figures.
Q: When will the generation be resumed?
A: No timetable has been given and will be explained separately depending on the progress of guardrail completion and policy implementation.
