Bernice King has had it with your AI content of Martin Luther King Jr.

Bernice King joins Robin Williams’ daughter in begging the public to stop creating AI images and clips of her father.

Imagine, for a moment, Martin Luther King Jr., despite having died decades ago, now in a modern grocery store, holding a bag of groceries, declaring he has a dream that these groceries will one day be free before he makes a mad dash out with them. Or picture him in a WWE ring, gearing up to body-slam some villain while shouting “I have a dream… of smashing injustice!” Or maybe you stumble on a drag-and-drop re-creation of his “I Have a Dream” speech where he suddenly segues into “Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday.” 

How do these digitally warped caricatures and mashups even exist? The answer, of course, is Artificial Intelligence (AI). And, MLK’s daughter, Bernice King, has had enough.

This week, Bernice agreed with Zelda Williams, daughter of the late comedian Robin Williams, who recently implored fans to stop sending her AI-generated videos and images of her father.

“Please, just stop sending me AI videos of Dad,” Zelda wrote in a post shared earlier this week. “It’s dumb, it’s a waste of time and energy, and believe me, it’s NOT what he’d want,” she continued. “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. Gross.”

“I concur concerning my father. Please stop,” Bernice wrote in a post on X, sharing an article about Zelda’s thoughts. 

Their exchange highlights a growing backlash against the increasingly disturbing digital trend of using AI tools and deepfake generators reanimating deceased public figures for entertainment, memes, or profit—often without consent. Many of these clips are created using OpenAI’s new video generator app, Sora 2, and shared across TikTok and Instagram for viral entertainment. What began as novelty content has turned into a wave of exploitative media, from faux music collaborations to reimagined historical speeches. 

King, who has frequently spoken out against memes distorting her father’s image and message, has called such content “dishonoring, deplorable, and disrespectful.”

Other public figures, including SZA, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Rihanna, have also condemned the use of AI to replicate their voices or likenesses without permission. Many other creatives, including those in Hollywood, have also begun to speak out against their industry’s embrace of the technology.

Zelda was just 25 when her father, Robin Williams, died by suicide in 2014. Bernice was five years old when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968.