George Carlin's estate files lawsuit against Dudesy, the company behind the AI-generated special edition George Carlin: I'm glad to be deadfor unauthorized use of the comedian's copyrighted works.
The lawsuit, which was filed in California federal court on Thursday and was obtained by Rolling rockdenounced the special as “a computer-generated piece of clickbait that devalues Carlin's comic works and damages his reputation,” adding, “It's a casual theft of the work of a great American artist.”
Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen, who host the Dudesy podcast and YouTube show, are named as defendants. Also named are 20 John Does, with five listed as creators of the AI program and 15 as individuals or entities that “contributed to the creation, production and sponsorship” of the AI-generated expert.
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 alleges 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 purporting to be “in the voice of George Carlin and reflects Carlin would have commented on current events since his death in 2008.”
The complaint requests a court order for the immediate removal of the expert, as well as an unspecified amount of compensation.
“Artificial intelligence may be the most important technology invented in generations, and therefore requires a great deal of control and restriction to ensure that it is not misused,” said the plaintiff's attorney, Josh Schiller. “Otherwise, as with previous revolutionary technologies, we risk becoming a tool that allows nefarious actors to replace creative expression, exploit creators' existing work, and enrich themselves at the expense of others.”
The comic's daughter, Kelly Carlin, previously commented on the special upon its release in early January. When an X/Twitter user asked her if “this clown had a license,” Kelly retweeted the question and wrote, “ZERO HAS A LICENSE.”
In a separate statement announcing the lawsuit Thursday, Kelly wrote, “My father was a legendary comedian and a once-in-a-lifetime talent whose legacy is the body of work he left behind — the real his performances, albums and books. I understand and share the desire for more George Carlin. I want more time with my father too. But it's ridiculous to proclaim that it has been 'resurrected' with AI.”
He continued, “The 'George Carlin' in that video is not the handsome man who defined his generation and raised me with love. It is a poorly executed facsimile put together by unscrupulous individuals to take advantage of the extraordinary goodwill my father has built up with his adoring fan base.”
from our partners at https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/george-carlin-estate-ai-comedy-special-lawsuit-1234954818/
