Why Robin Williams' Children Have Revived His Instagram Account Over 12 Years After His Death

Robin Williams' children have revived his Instagram account as a way to honour their father's legacy and combat the rampant AI abuse of his likeness. On Monday (Aug 17), Zak, Zelda and Cody Williams shared a joint statement on their late father's official Instagram account, announcing that they were reviving the page as new generations of fans discover his work.

The post comes 12 years after Williams' death on August 11, 2014, at age 63. The last post the actor and comedian shared on his Instagram account was in July 2014, when he shared a birthday tribute to his daughter.

"As we recognise what would be our Dad's 75th year, 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.

"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 decision comes at a time when unauthorised production of AI-generated deepfakes of celebrities, both alive and dead, has forced families to figure out how to make sure verified images break through.

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Zelda Williams, the Oscar-winning comedian's eldest daughter, has previously slammed those using his father's likeness to generate AI videos.

“It's dumb, it's a waste of time and energy, and believe me, it's NOT what he'd want,” she wrote in October last year. “To watch the legacies of real people be condensed down to ‘this vaguely looks and sounds like them so that's enough', just so other people can churn out horrible TikTok slop puppeteering them is maddening.”

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Social media users were happy that the family had revived Williams' account and hoped that those using the actor's likeness for AI content would stop now.

"Hope this means we will never see or hear an AI Robi," said one user while another added: "he was one of a kind. Brilliant, genius. He will always be missed."

A third commented: "He was your dad. You three don't owe anyone an apology for using this account and those of us who are not family members or friends should be thankful for whatever you choose to share."

A fourth said: "Robin was one of my favorite comedy actors as a kid growing up. He brought so much joy and laughter to the world that there's absolutely no way to measure it. The world misses him. We love you, Robin."