Source: USA Herald

USA Herald reports that the legal team for basketball superstar LeBron James has issued a cease-and-desist letter to an artificial intelligence company responsible for creating and circulating "disturbing" deepfake videos of the athlete. The letter demands the immediate removal of the videos and a halt to any further use of James's likeness without authorization. The deepfakes in question reportedly depict James in false and compromising situations, representing a clear violation of his personality and publicity rights.

This legal action is one of the first high-profile instances of a major celebrity formally challenging the misuse of their image through generative AI technology. The move highlights the growing legal and ethical concerns surrounding deepfakes and their potential to cause significant reputational damage and personal distress. The case is expected to draw further attention to the urgent need for clearer laws and regulations governing the creation and distribution of synthetic media. It serves as a significant test case for how existing legal frameworks, such as the right of publicity and defamation law, will be applied to combat the malicious use of AI.