AI resurrections of dead celebrities amuse and rankle

Washington, United States (AFP) Dec 22, 2025
In a parallel reality, Queen Elizabeth II gushes over cheese puffs, a gun-toting Saddam Hussein struts into a wrestling ring, and Pope John Paul II attempts skateboarding. Hyper-realistic AI videos of dead celebrities - created with apps such as OpenAI's easy-to-use Sora - have rapidly spread online, prompting debate over the control of deceased people's likenesses. OpenAI's app, launc