George Carlin Estate Reaches Settlement Via AI Comedy Special

His estate The late comedian George Carlin facilitated a lawsuit with Dudesy's podcast over an AI-generated comedy special.

On Tuesday, attorneys for the Carlin family shared that the podcast's creators had pulled the expert from a computer George Carlin: I'm glad to be dead by YouTube following a lawsuit filed in January.

“I'm glad this matter was resolved quickly and amicably, and I'm grateful that the defendants acted responsibly by quickly removing the video they made,” said Carlin's daughter, Kelly. “While it's a shame this happened, I hope this case serves as a warning about the dangers posed by artificial intelligence technologies and the need for proper safeguards not just for artists and creatives, but for every human being on earth.”

In January, Carlin's estate filed a lawsuit against Dudesy for unauthorized use of the comedian's copyrighted works. The suit denounced the special as “a computer-generated piece of clickbait that devalues ​​Carlin's comic works and damages his reputation,” adding, “It is a casual theft of the work of a great American artist.”

Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen, who host the Dudesy podcast and YouTube show, were named as defendants. They also named 20 John Does, with five listed as the creators of the AI ​​program and 15 as individuals or entities that “contributed to the creation, production and sponsorship” of the AI-generated expert.

“This settlement is an excellent result for our clients and will serve as a blueprint for resolving similar disputes in the future where an artist or public figure has their rights violated by AI technology,” said a statement from the estate's attorney Joshua Schiller. “Our goal was to quickly resolve this case and remove the offending videos from the internet so we could preserve Mr. Carlin's legacy and shed light on the threat to reputation and intellectual property posed by this emerging technology.” .

“The world is beginning to appreciate the power and potential dangers inherent in artificial intelligence tools, which can imitate voices, create fake photos and alter videos,” the lawyer added. “This is not a problem that will go away on its own. It must be met with swift, vigorous action in the courts, and the AI ​​software companies whose technology is being weaponized must also bear some responsibility.”

At the beginning of the special, an AI-generated version of Carlin's voice states that he “listened to all of George Carlin's material and did my best to imitate his voice, rhythm and attitude, and the theme I think that he would be interested today.”

The suit alleged that the defendants' “unauthorized” use of his works resulted in copyright infringement and a violation of the comedian's right of publicity, accusing the “hour-long spoof comedy” of claiming to be “in the voice of George Carlin and reflecting how Carlin would have commented on current events since his death in 2008.”