‘It’s a little strange’: Why Robin Williams’ Instagram account has been revived
Robin Williams' children want to share authentic photos and videos that celebrate his legacy.
Robin Williams’ children have revived the late actor’s Instagram account to fight back against what his daughter Zelda describes as “rampant AI abuse of his voice and likeness”.
In a move that followed the anniversary of the Hollywood legend’s death on August 11, 2014, Zelda, Zak and Cody Williams said they also wanted to share their father’s “unique talent and humour with the world”.
“We’re grateful to see new generations discovering his work while longtime fans continue to celebrate the joy he brought into their lives,” they wrote in a joint statement on the actor’s Instagram page on Monday.
“As technology evolves, we want this to be a safe, trusted place where the stories, photos, videos, and memories shared reflect his legacy with authenticity, warmth, and care.”
The trio said it was a way to celebrate “the moments that made us and so many of you laugh”, while remembering the extraordinary life and work of an actor who continued to “inspire us and delight people all over the world”.
Williams was 63 when he took his own life at his home in California. He was known to have battled depression, but his widow Susan Williams later revealed that he also had Lewy Bodies dementia.
The much-loved actor was widely celebrated for his talents, especially in comedic roles in movies such as Mrs Doubtfire and Jumanji and TV sitcom Mork & Mindy, and won an Academy Award for his captivating performance as a teacher in 1997 drama Good Will Hunting.
Williams’ official Instagram account has been dormant since 2014.
Until the update from his children, the last post – made shortly before his death – featured a photo of Williams with Zelda as a small child and wished her a happy 25th birthday. A similar post several months earlier celebrated son Zak’s birthday with an old photo of Williams with his infant son.
In a separate Instagram story this week, 37-year-old Zelda, who is an actor and director herself, acknowledged that it may seem strange for her father’s account to be reactivated.
“I’m sorry if anyone found Dad’s old page posting again to be triggering. Believe me, I know it’s a little strange,” she said.
“Making that space into one where people can find authentic clips and photos of him is one of the best ways we’ve now found to fight back against rampant AI abuse of his voice and likeness on here.”
Son Zak, 43, also posted about his father on the anniversary of his death, saying grief at 12 years was different: “Quieter, but deeper.”
Thousands of Robin Williams fans have responded to the revival of his Instagram account, sharing memories of the actor and welcoming the siblings’ post.
“Hope this means we’ll never see or hear an AI Robin,” one wrote.
AI-generated videos of Williams have proliferated in recent years, including one featuring him in an “alternate reality” Jurassic Park (alongside other famous faces such as Ronald Reagan and Elvis), and a staged awards ceremony interaction with the late Betty White of Golden Girls fame.
Many of them were reportedly made using the OpenAI app Sora, which was shut down earlier this year after an outcry over how it was being used to generate fake videos of public figures doing outlandish things.
Zelda Williams has spoken out previously about AI clips of her father, saying it was not what he would want. Last year, she urged people to stop sending them to her.
“Stop believing I wanna see it or that I’ll understand, I don’t and I won’t,” she wrote on Instagram.
“If you’re just trying to troll me, I’ve seen way worse, I’ll restrict and move on.
“But please, if you’ve got any decency, just stop doing this to him and to me, to everyone even, full stop.
“It’s dumb, it’s a waste of time and energy, and believe me, it’s NOT what he’d want.”
Zelda Williams has previously urged people to stop sharing AI videos of her dad.
The director of horror-comedy film Lisa Frankenstein said it was “maddening” to watch the legacies of real people “condensed down” so people could “churn out horrible TikTok slop puppeteering”.
“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.”
The Williams’ siblings’ move comes as an increasing number of creatives and celebrities are speaking out about the impact of artificial intelligence on the entertainment sector and criticising so-called “AI slop”.
Last week, Queen guitarist Brian May vented about the spread of AI while sharing a dodgy version of the cover of the band’s 1980 album The Game created using Meta AI, while the actors’ union in the US has vowed to fight back against the introduction AI-generated characters in film and television.
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