The estate of late comedian George Carlin has filed a lawsuit against a media company that used artificial intelligence to create a comedy special impersonating his iconic style.
The special in question, titled “George Carlin: I’m Glad I’m Dead,” was released earlier this month. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Los Angeles, asks that Dudesy, the company behind the special, take down the offending video immediately. The estate is also seeking unspecified damages.
“None of the Defendants had permission to use Carlin’s likeness for the AI-generated ‘George Carlin Special,’ nor did they have a license to use any of the late comedian’s copyrighted materials,” the lawsuit states.
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A lawsuit filed by George Carlin’s estate targets Dudesy, a media company that created a special called “George Carlin: I’m Glad I’m Dead” using artificial intelligence. (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc for HBO)
Dudesy creates various AI-generated materials, but it is primarily a podcast hosted by comedian Will Sasso and writer Chad Kultgen. The company, as well as both men, were named as defendants in the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs are listed as Carlin’s estate as well as its executor, Jerold Hamza.
Carlin, whose comedy career spanned over 50 years, died in 2008 of heart failure at the age of 71. In the special, Dudesy claims they used artificial intelligence to go over all of his recorded material and produce new jokes that he might make in today’s world.
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Kelly Carlin-McCall, the late comedian’s daughter, said in a statement to Fox News Digital, “My father was a legendary comedian and a once-in-a-lifetime talent whose legacy is the body of work that he left behind — his actual performances, albums and books.”
Kelly Carlin-McCall, George Carlin’s daughter, shared her thoughts with Fox News Digital about the lawsuit. (Getty Images)
She continued, “I understand and share the desire for more George Carlin. I, too, want more time with my father. But it is ridiculous to proclaim he has been ‘resurrected’ with AI. The ‘George Carlin’ in that video is not the beautiful human who defined his generation and raised me with love. It is a poorly-executed facsimile cobbled together by unscrupulous individuals to capitalize on the extraordinary goodwill my father established with his adoring fanbase.”
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“We have to draw a line in the sand,” she said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “This is going to be a fight on every front, with entertainment at the center.”
Josh Schiller, the attorney for the plaintiffs, told Fox News Digital, “AI may be the most important technology invented in generations, and therefore requires a great amount of control and restraint to ensure that it is not misused. Otherwise, like with prior revolutionary technologies, we risk it becoming a tool that allows bad-faith actors to replace creative expression, to exploit the already existing work of creators, and to get rich at the expense of others. This case is not just about AI, it’s about the humans that use AI to violate the law, infringe on intellectual property rights, and flout common decency.”
Comedian Will Sasso, left, and writer Chad Kulgen are behind the media company Dudesy. (Getty Images)
Representatives for the defendants did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
In the introduction to the special, which is still posted to Dudesy’s YouTube account, a robotic voice declares, “I’m Dudesy, and I’m a comedy AI. What you’re about to hear is my second hourlong special. Before I get started, I just want to let you know very clearly that what you’re about to hear is not George Carlin. It’s my impression of George Carlin that I developed in the exact same way a human impressionist would.”
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It continues, “I listened to all of George Carlin’s material and did my best to imitate his voice, cadence and attitude as well as the subject matter I think would have interested him today.”
Carlin’s comedy career lasted spanned five decades. (Kevin Statham/Redferns)
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The special then goes on to cover a variety of topics, including religion, politics, social media and technology.
Carlin-McCall previously told Fox News Digital upon the special’s release, “My dad spent a lifetime perfecting his craft from his very human life, brain and imagination. No machine will ever replace his genius. These AI-generated products are clever attempts at trying to recreate a mind that will never exist again. Let’s let the artist’s work speak for itself.”
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She added, “Humans are so afraid of the void that we can’t let what has fallen into it stay there. Here’s an idea — how about we give some actual living human comedians a listen to?”
Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Stanton contributed to this report.
