George Carlin’s estate sues over AI-generated standup comedy special
The estate of George Carlin is suing the media company behind a fake, hour-long comedy special whose creators boasted of using artificial intelligence to re-create the late standup comic’s style and material.
Lawsuit filed against media company over AI-generated standup comedy special
The estate of George Carlin has filed a lawsuit against the media company Dudesy for creating a fake comedy special using artificial intelligence to imitate Carlin's style and material.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Los Angeles, demands that the podcast outlet immediately take down the audio special titled 'George Carlin: I’m Glad I’m Dead'.
Carlin's daughter, Kelly Carlin, described the work as a 'poorly-executed facsimile' that seeks to exploit her father's fanbase.
Allegations of violations of right of publicity and copyright
The lawsuit alleges that Dudesy, as well as podcast hosts Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen, violated Carlin's right of publicity and copyright.
Carlin's estate and executor claim that the defendants did not have permission to use his likeness or copyrighted materials in the AI-generated special.
The lawsuit further states that the podcast outlet and hosts did not have a license to use any of Carlin's copyrighted materials.
Controversy surrounding the creation of the special
The special, titled 'George Carlin: I’m Glad I’m Dead', was posted on YouTube on January 9th and features an AI-generated voice imitating Carlin.
While the AI engine claims to have imitated Carlin's voice, cadence, and attitude based on his 50 years of material, doubts have been raised about the authenticity of its origins.
The plaintiffs argue that if the special was truly AI-generated, it would constitute a violation of Carlin's copyright.
Legal implications for the use of celebrity images and likenesses
This lawsuit is one of the first of its kind to address the regenerated use of celebrity images and likenesses through artificial intelligence.
Josh Schiller, an attorney for the plaintiffs, stated that the case is not just about AI, but also about the humans who use AI to violate the law and infringe on intellectual property rights.
It is expected that more legal actions will follow as the use of AI in recreating celebrity performances becomes more common.
