Robin Williams's daughter slams AI videos of her dead father
What's the story
Director Zelda Williams, the daughter of late Hollywood actor-comedian Robin Williams, has expressed her displeasure over AI-generated videos of her father. Taking to Instagram Stories, she wrote: "Please, just stop sending me AI videos of Dad... If you're just trying to troll me, I've seen way worse." Comedy legend Robin passed away in 2014 at the age of 63.
Displeasure
'It's NOT what he'd want'
Zelda further added, "But please, if you've got any decency, just stop doing this to him and to me, to everyone even, full stop. It's dumb, it's a waste of time and energy, and believe me, it's NOT what he'd want." She also slammed the AI-generated videos as "gross." The director of Lisa Frankenstein said, "You're not making art, you're making disgusting, over-processed hotdogs out of the lives of human beings."
AI criticism
Zelda called AI 'badly recycling and regurgitating the past'
Zelda further criticized AI, saying it is "just badly recycling and regurgitating the past to be re-consumed." She added, "You're taking in the Human Centipede of content...while the folks at the front laugh and laugh consume and consume." This isn't the first time Zelda has spoken out against AI recreations of her father. In 2023, she called them "personally disturbing" during SAG-AFTRA's strike when AI recreations were listed as a mandatory subject of bargaining.
Previous statement
'Living actors deserve a chance to create characters'
In her previous statement, Zelda had said, "I've already heard AI used to get his 'voice' to say whatever people want and while I find it personally disturbing the ramifications go far beyond my own feelings." "Living actors deserve a chance to create characters with their choices...to put their HUMAN effort and time into the pursuit of performance." Williams died by suicide in 2014 after a long battle with depression and Lewy body disease.