Zelda Williams, daughter of the late actor and comedian Robin Williams, has asked the public to stop sharing AI-generated videos of her father, calling the content "dumb" and "a waste of time."
In a series of posts on Instagram, she criticized the growing trend of AI recreations of dead celebrities, which have circulated widely on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
"Please, just stop sending me AI videos of Dad. Stop believing I wanna see it or that I'll understand, I don't and I won't," she wrote.
"If you're just trying to troll me, I've seen way worse, I'll restrict and move on. 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 added.
Zelda Williams called the use of AI to recreate her father's image "gross" and "maddening," saying it turns the lives and legacies of real people into digital copies made for clicks and entertainment.
"To watch the legacies of real people be condensed down to 'this vaguely looks and sounds like them so that's enough,' just so other people can churn out horrible TikTok slop puppeteering them is maddening," she wrote.
"You're not making art, you're making disgusting, over-processed hotdogs out of the lives of human beings, out of history of art and music, and then shoving them down someone else's throat hoping they'll give you a little thumbs up and like it. Gross."
In a follow-up post, Zelda Williams urged creators to stop presenting AI as innovation.
"And for the love of EVERYTHING, stop calling it 'the future.' AI is just badly recycling and regurgitating the past to be reconsumed."
"You are taking in the Human Centipede of content, and from the very very end of the line, all while the folks at the front laugh and laugh, consume and consume," she wrote.
Robin Williams, who died by suicide in August 2014 at the age of 63, was later found to have suffered from Lewy body dementia, a progressive neurological disorder often associated with depression and cognitive decline.
His son, Zak Williams, has previously spoken about his father's struggles with mental health during a 2020 appearance on "The Dr. Oz Show," a clip of which was shared by People.
"The main thing for me was noticing how he went through great lengths to support himself while he could show up for others," he said. "It was clear that he prioritized his mental health throughout most of his life, at least that I experienced with him."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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