Latest news with #FlickUp
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
LeBron James isn't thrilled about deepfake videos of him, and his legal team is taking action
NBA stars like LeBron James are no strangers to memes and viral internet content about their lives being circulated online. However, a new trend of people creating deepfake videos has recently cropped up, and as per AI platform FlickUp's founder Jason Stacks, the Los Angeles Lakers player is not that thrilled about it. LeBron James is not happy about people making deepfake videos of him.(AP) Cease-and-desist letter In a recent Instagram reel, Stacks revealed that James's legal team had issued him a cease-and-desist letter in lieu of the deepfake content being created using his platform. 'This is a letter from one of the biggest NBA players of all time. Two months ago, I launched the YouTube of AI video. It was a fun idea to help creators make some more money. But then people started noticing … Like this guy, yeah, LeBron James. And he wasn't happy, because I got this cease-and-desist from his team,' says Stacks. "I'm so f**ked 😭,' he wrote in the caption. This is in reference to multiple deepfake videos created by online users, including one where James is pregnant with Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry's baby. Former teammate speaks in support James's former teammate Richard Jefferson spoke up in support of the player's attempt to remove content potentially harmful to his image during a recent appearance on the Road Trippin' podcast. We see the value in name, image, and likeness,' he claimed. 'This is one of the issues with AI. All of a sudden, videos depicting whatever you want. They're saying whatever you want. Think for all human beings, what people are doing isn't a positive thing. Kendrick Perkins, Jefferson's co-host, also spoke up on the matter. 'If it is true that LeBron and his team are sending out those cease and desists and stopping that s***, I'm all for it,' he said. 'You have one name. Protect that m*********** name!' This is one of many efforts of James's legal team to take charge of his online narrative and address issues concerning the illicit use of famous personalities. It also points out the dangers of the unregulated use of such technology. By Stuti Gupta
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Why is LeBron James furious with an AI company? Legal action over deepfake pregnancy videos explained
LeBron James. Image via: AAron Ontiveroz/In an era where deepfakes blur the line between fantasy and defamation, LeBron James is drawing a hard line. The NBA legend is now at the center of a growing legal battle against artificial intelligence misuse. James and his legal team have issued a cease-and-desist letter to FlickUp, the company behind Interlink AI, after disturbing AI-generated videos using his likeness — including one portraying him as pregnant — went viral. LeBron James slams AI company with legal action over disturbing deepfake pregnancy videos The controversy centers around Interlink AI, a video-generation tool hosted on Discord, which enables users to create hyper-realistic clips of celebrities without consent. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokić, and others became unwitting avatars in a digital playground that quickly spiraled into grotesque territory. One video, which 404 Media reports received over 6.2 million Instagram views, depicted an AI-generated Sean "Diddy" Combs s*xually assaulting a fake Steph Curry in a prison setting, with an expressionless AI LeBron James watching in the background. Others showed James homeless, kneeling with his tongue out, or cradling a pregnant belly while calling out to Curry. 'This is a letter from one of the biggest NBA players of all time,' said FlickUp founder Jason Stacks in an Instagram Reel. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search Ads Get Info Undo 'Two months ago, I launched the YouTube of AI video. It was a fun idea to help creators make some more money. But then people started noticing … Like this guy, yeah, LeBron James. And he wasn't happy, because I got this cease-and-desist from his team.' Stacks admitted he was blindsided by the attention and, within 30 minutes of receiving the legal notice from Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks, removed all realistic people from the platform. 'We removed the models immediately and have since updated our approach to likeness and public figure policies,' he told 404 Media. 'That's really the full story on our end.' LeBron James gets support from former teammate Richard Jefferson LeBron's move signals a turning point in how public figures respond to unauthorized AI-generated content. As deepfakes move from playful memes to disturbing fabrications, celebrities like James are taking back control. 'We see the value in name, image, and likeness,' said former NBA player Richard Jefferson. 'All of a sudden, videos depicting whatever you want. They're saying whatever you want.' Shaq TORCHES Rudy Gobert (AGAIN!), Kerr's Kuminga Problem + HOF News for Channing!? James isn't alone. Other public figures, including Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson, and Steve Harvey, have all voiced concern over deepfake misuse. However, James stands apart by becoming one of the first to pursue formal legal action. Legislators are beginning to take notice. The NO FAKES Act and the Content Origin Protection Act are making their way through Congress, aiming to regulate AI-generated media and protect individuals' digital identities. James' decision may be personal, but the implications are universal. In a world where AI can mimic anyone, anywhere, anytime, defending your name may soon become a right everyone has to fight for. Also Read: Paul George's classy move breaks locker-room ritual as he refused to haze rookie VJ Edgecombe FAQs Why is LeBron James suing an AI company? Because they used his image without consent in disturbing deepfake videos. What was the most controversial AI video involving LeBron? One clip showed a fake LeBron passively watching a simulated assault involving Diddy and Steph Curry. What happened after the legal threat? FlickUp removed all realistic likenesses from its AI platform within 30 minutes of receiving the cease-and-desist. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Black America Web
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
LeBron James Takes Legal Action Against Deepfakes Of Him Being Pregnant
Source: MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images / Getty Fighting misinformation has been an ongoing battle for years and has begun to hilariously overtake the NBA players, thanks to NBA Centel. But now with the random advancements of AI, you can do more than tweet out a made-up statement about an athlete, you can dream up a video about it— and that's where LeBron James draws the line. Legally, at least. According to 404 Media , James' team of lawyers has sent out cease-and-desist letters to Flick Up, the company behind an AI tool and Discord community that allowed people to create random AI-generated videos of NBA stars. Of course, given too much freedom, some NBA fans took it too far with deepfake content that featured James and even Steph Curry in unusual predicaments involving Diddy. 'These included videos where an AI-generated James stood by as an AI-generated Diddy sexually assaulted Steph Curry in prison, videos of James imagined as a homeless person, videos of James on his knees with his tongue out, and videos of James pregnant,' writes 404 Media . Then a change came to the platform in June when the Discord community's moderators stopped using realistic people as models because they wanted to avoid any further complications with a 'highly valued basketball player.' Now, weeks later, Flick Up Founder Jason Stacks confirmed with 404 Media that the player was indeed LeBron James, and on his behalf, law firm Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks sent him a request to quit it. 'The letter came from Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks on behalf of LeBron James, and we took it seriously,' Stacks said. 'We removed the models immediately and have since updated our approach to likeness and public figure policies. That's really the full story on our end.' In a video posted to Instagram, Stacks revealed the moment he received the letter, admitting he was 'so f-cked.' He continued, explaining that he didn't know the video would become so popular and that posting it on YouTube led to it gaining more attention than he ever imagined. 'Two months ago, I launched the YouTube of AI video. It was a fun idea to help creators make some more money,' he said in the video. 'But then people started noticing. Like, really noticing. Like this guy, yeah, the LeBron James. And he wasn't happy, because I got this cease and desist from his team.' Well, apparently, James isn't with the jokes, at least one of him being pregnant. See reactions to the league move below. LeBron James Takes Legal Action Against Deepfakes Of Him Being Pregnant was originally published on
Express Tribune
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
LeBron James sends cease-and-desist to AI company over fake pregnancy video
LeBron James has taken legal action against an AI platform responsible for creating and circulating nonconsensual deepfake videos of the NBA superstar. Lawyers representing James recently issued a cease-and-desist letter to Interlink AI, a tool hosted on the FlickUp platform, and its associated Discord community. The platform allowed users to create AI-generated videos, some of which depicted James in disturbing and bizarre scenarios—including as a pregnant person and in simulated prison assault scenes alongside other celebrities like Steph Curry and Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Many of these videos gained millions of views on Instagram under the viral trend known as 'brainrot AI.' This marks one of the first publicly known cases where a high-profile celebrity has taken legal action over AI-generated content that, while not sexually explicit, still constitutes a violation of likeness and dignity. The situation has brought increased attention to the growing concerns around deepfake content and celebrity rights in the age of generative AI. In response to the legal action, the moderators of Interlink AI announced in late June that they would be removing all 'realistic people models' from the platform. In a message posted on Discord, they explained the change was necessary 'after we ran into legal issues involving a highly valued basketball player.' This move underscores the legal and ethical boundaries being tested as AI-generated content becomes more realistic—and potentially harmful.
