As most of mainstream Hollywood looks to opt out of OpenAI‘s new AI video app Sora, one content creator and boxer has clearly opted in and appears to be enjoying the free publicity.
Since the launch of Sora 2 at the beginning of October, an app that allows users to generate hyperrealistic clips of not only themselves but also other permitted users, videos have quickly begun to flood social media, specifically TikTok. And there’s one face that is notably being used the most: Jake Paul.
In recent days, it’s been quite difficult to scroll on the popular app and not see an AI video of Paul — from him causing a scene on an airplane to being confronted by police over a hit-and-run. But the most common video theme has been videos of the boxer if he were a gay man who loves fashion and makeup (The real Paul is straight and currently engaged to Olympic speed skater Jutta Leerdam).
Some people may be annoyed with thousands of fake videos of themselves flooding the internet, but Paul seems to be amused by it. I mean, he did have to opt in to have his likeness used through Sora.
The youngest of the Paul brothers (Logan Paul is Jake’s older brother) has already taken to his personal social media to respond to the abundance of AI videos, and has a good sense of humor about it all.
He posted a TikTok video on Wednesday, saying in a serious tone, “I’ve had it with the AI stuff. It’s affecting my relationship, businesses. People are hitting me up saying, ‘Yo, did you say this? What did you do this for? I can’t believe you did this?’ It’s really affecting things, and honestly, it’s like people need to get a life, so it’s kind of pissing me off. I’m gonna be suing everybody that is continuing to spread these false narratives of me doing shit that I would literally never, ever do. So be ready for lawsuits.” However, as he’s saying all of this, he’s actually putting on makeup, just like in some of the AI videos.
Paul also shared a Sora-created video on his Instagram Story of him appearing to have a meltdown at a Starbucks after they got his order wrong. He jokingly wrote on the post, “Surprised someone got this on camera this morning — what happened to privacy?”
Paul’s rep declined to comment when The Hollywood Reporter reached out.
Though Paul is enjoying the new AI video app (and is likely hoping to benefit from the first-user advantage when it comes to new social networks), there are plenty of others not exactly thrilled with the technology, especially in Hollywood.
Major studio executives and talent agency chiefs have already raised concerns over Sora 2 and how their intellectual property or likenesses are being used on the app. Charles Rivkin, CEO of the Motion Picture Association, recently called on OpenAI to “prevent infringement” of “our members’ films, shows, and characters.” WME’s head of digital strategy, Chris Jacquemin, has also said they were opting out all of the agency’s clients from the latest update of the video tool.
However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has promised “to give rightsholders more granular control” over their IP.
Robin Williams‘ daughter, Zelda Williams, also recently slammed people who are making AI-generated videos of her late father, calling the clips “gross.” She added, “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. You’re not making art, you’re making disgusting, over-processed hotdogs out of the lives of human beings, out of the 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.”