George Carlin's estate has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Dudesy, the media company that used generative artificial intelligence to produce a fake hour-long comedy special that imitates the star's voice and comedic style. deceased. The complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court on Thursday alleges that copyrighted materials and Carlin's likeness were used without permission or proper licenses, calling the special a “computer-generated clickbait piece that detracts from Carlin's comedic works and damages his reputation.” .
The ai-generated special, titled George Carlin: I'm glad I'm dead, was released on the Dudesy podcast's YouTube channel on January 9, where it remains live and has since racked up nearly 500,000 views. Dudesy podcast hosts Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen, who are also named in the complaint, responded to criticism surrounding the special several days after its release, referring to ai as “the next paintbrush” and saying that it is a “new tool that will be used in all facets of life.”
Carlin's estate is seeking unspecified damages and the immediate removal of the fake ai comedy special.
According to the lawsuit, Carlin's estate seeks the immediate removal and destruction of all copies of the forged special, along with an unspecified amount in damages. “The Dudesy Special is a bastardization of Carlin's actual work and his legacy,” the complaint alleges. “George Carlin, if he were alive today, might well have commented on the issues raised in the Dudesy Special, but he would have had control over what those comments were.”
The fake special has been widely condemned by Carlin's fans and family, who believe it is a mockery of the late comedian's work. “My dad spent his entire life perfecting his craft from his life, very human brain and imagination. No machine will ever replace his genius,” his daughter said. Kelly Carlin in a statement. “These ai-generated products are clever attempts to try to recreate a mind that will never exist again. Let the artist’s work speak for itself.”
This isn't the first time Dudesy has drawn attention for using ai to imitate notable celebrities. Last April, technology/2023/apr/10/tom-brady-standup-ai-dudesy”>Former NFL star Tom Brady threatened to file a similar lawsuit. against another ai-generated comedy special the company created using his likeness. The video, titled It is too easy! An hour-long mock comedy special It has since been removed from Dudesy's YouTube channel.
Concerns about the capabilities of generative ai to digitally replicate artists' images and voices played a visible role in last year's SAG-AFTRA strike, as actors fought to secure informed consent and compensation barriers to use. of ai in the entertainment industry. The bipartisan No Fakes Act proposed by US senators last October also seeks to introduce laws that protect performers from being digitally replicated without their consent.
