OpenAI cracks down on Sora 2 deepfakes after Bryan Cranston, actors union complain

Sam Altman’s OpenAI said it will crack down on unauthorized deepfakes spit out by its Sora 2 text-to-video generator after complaints by public figures and celebrities including “Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston.A flood of realistic-looking, unauthorized deepfake videos hit social media after OpenAI launched the upgraded Sora 2 on Sept.30 — sparking complaints that it was using the voices and images of celebrities without proper credit or compensation.Cranston — who recently popped up in a fake video that showed him talking a selfie with Michael Jackson — personally “brought the issue to the attention of SAG-AFTRA,” which pushed OpenAI to take action, the prominent actors’ union stated Monday.“I am grateful to OpenAI for its policy and for improving its guardrails, and hope that they and all of the companies involved in this work respect our personal and professional right to manage replication of our voice and likeness,” Cranston added in the joint statement with the union and OpenAI.Last week, the tech giant blocked users from creating deepfakes of Martin Luther King Jr.

after his estate blasted what it described as “disrespectful depictions” of the late civil rights icon.Zelda Williams, the daughter of the late actor Robin Williams, was previously forced to beg the public to stop using Sora to create deepfakes of the beloved comedian.OpenAI says it has strengthened enforcement of an “opt-in” policy requiring public figures to give their permission before Sora can use their voices and likenesses in AI-generated videos.The company has also “committed to responding expeditiously to any complaints” regarding potential violations going forward, according to Monday’s statement.Hollywood talent agencies CAA and UTA – which earlier warned that potential infringement by Sora “exposes our clients and their intellectual property to significant risk” – also signed the statement, saying their talks with OpenAI have resulted in �...