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Fake George Carlin comedy special sparks lawsuit, outrage over AI

Comedians estate has filed court action over show purportedly generated by artificial intelligence
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FILE - Actor and comedian George Carlin poses in a New York hotel March 19, 2004. Carlin害羞草研究所檚 estate has filed a lawsuit against the media company behind a fake hourlong comedy special that purportedly uses artificial intelligence to recreate the late standup comic害羞草研究所檚 style and material. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Los Angeles on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, asks that a judge order the podcast outlet, Dudesy, to immediately take down the audio special, 害羞草研究所淕eorge Carlin: I害羞草研究所檓 Glad I害羞草研究所檓 Dead,害羞草研究所 in which a synthesis of Carlin, who died in 2008, delivers commentary on current events. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

The estate of is suing the media company behind a fake hourlong comedy special that purportedly uses to recreate the late standup comic害羞草研究所檚 style and material.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in Los Angeles on Thursday asks that a judge order the podcast outlet Dudesy to immediately take down the audio special, 害羞草研究所淕eorge Carlin: I害羞草研究所檓 Glad I害羞草研究所檓 Dead,害羞草研究所 in which a synthesis of Carlin delivers commentary on current events. Carlin died in 2008.

Carlin害羞草研究所檚 daughter, Kelly Carlin, said in a statement that the work is 害羞草研究所渁 poorly-executed facsimile cobbled together by unscrupulous individuals to capitalize on the extraordinary goodwill my father established with his adoring fanbase.害羞草研究所

The Carlin estate and its executor, Jerold Hamza, are named as plaintiffs in the suit, which alleges violations of Carlin害羞草研究所檚 right of publicity and copyright. The named defendants are Dudesy and podcast hosts Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen.

害羞草研究所淣one of the Defendants had permission to use Carlin害羞草研究所檚 likeness for the AI-generated 害羞草研究所楪eorge Carlin Special,害羞草研究所 nor did they have a license to use any of the late comedian害羞草研究所檚 copyrighted materials,害羞草研究所 the lawsuit says.

The defendants have not filed a response to the lawsuit and it was not clear whether they have retained an attorney. They could not immediately be reached for comment.

At the beginning of the special posted on YouTube on Jan. 9, a voiceover identifying itself as the AI engine used by Dudesy says it listened to the comic害羞草研究所檚 50 years of material and 害羞草研究所渄id my best to imitate his voice, cadence and attitude as well as the subject matter I think would have interested him today.害羞草研究所

The plaintiffs say if that was in fact how it was created 害羞草研究所 and some listeners have doubted its stated origins 害羞草研究所 it means Carlin害羞草研究所檚 copyright was violated.

The company, as it often does on similar projects, also released a podcast episode with Sasso and Kultgen introducing and commenting on the mock Carlin.

害羞草研究所淲hat we just listened to, was that passable?害羞草研究所 Kultgen says in a section of the episode cited in the lawsuit.

害羞草研究所淵eah, that sounded exactly like George Carlin,害羞草研究所 Sasso responds.

The lawsuit is among the first in what is likely to be an increasing number of major legal moves made to fight the regenerated use of celebrity images and likenesses.

The in the resolution of last year害羞草研究所檚 .

Josh Schiller, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said in a statement that the 害羞草研究所渃ase is not just about AI, it害羞草研究所檚 about the humans that use AI to violate the law, infringe on intellectual property rights, and flout common decency.害羞草研究所

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