Robin Williams' Daughter Zelda Slams 'Personally Disturbing' AI Recreations Of Her Dad's Voice

"While I find it personally disturbing, the ramifications go far beyond my own feelings."
Robin Williams arrives with daughter Zelda at the premiere of "R.V." on April 23, 2006 in Los Angeles.
Robin Williams arrives with daughter Zelda at the premiere of "R.V." on April 23, 2006 in Los Angeles.
Michael Buckner via Getty Images

Robin Williams’ daughter Zelda has strong thoughts on artificial intelligence.

The actor spoke out about the impact AI could have, telling her followers that she is “not an impartial voice” when it comes to actors’ “fight against AI.”

“I’ve witnessed for YEARS how many people want to train these models to create/recreate actors who cannot consent, like Dad. This isn’t theoretical, it is very very real,” Zelda Williams wrote on her Instagram story on Sunday.

Zelda’s father died in 2014 at the age of 63.

“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,” she said.

She added: “Living actors deserve a chance to create characters with their choices, to voice cartoons, to put their HUMAN effort and time into the pursuit of performance.”

Jared Silver, Zelda Williams, Robin Williams and his wife Marsha Garces Williams in 2006
Jared Silver, Zelda Williams, Robin Williams and his wife Marsha Garces Williams in 2006
Kevin Winter via Getty Images

“These recreations are, at their very best, a poor facsimile of greater people,” she continued. “But at their worst, a horrendous Frankensteinian monster, cobbled together from the worst bits of everything this industry is, instead of what it should stand for.”

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is currently on strike. AI is one of the main issues the guild is focusing on in negotiations with Hollywood producers. The use of AI was also a key sticking point in negotiations during the writers strike, which resulted in a groundbreaking deal last week.

Other actors, including Tom Hanks, have also spoken up about the dangerous ramifications of AI.

The two-time Oscar winner shared a “BEWARE!!” message with his Instagram followers over the weekend, warning them: “There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me.”

“I have nothing to do with it,” he added.

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