George Carlin's relatives are suing the authors of the stand-up performance of "I'm Glad I'm Dead", which was generated by artificial intelligence
Flickr
The heirs of legendary American comedian George Carlin have sued the creators of an hour-long comedy video with artificial intelligence mimicking Carlin's voice and mannerisms.
Here's What We Know
The video, titled George Carlin:I'm Glad I'm Dead, posted on YouTube by YouTube channel Dudesy, features a voice remarkably similar to that of Carlin, who died in 2008. In it, the latter comments on topics familiar to the comedian, including religion, politics and even his own death.
According to a lawsuit filed in federal court in California, the video violates the heirs' copyrights and right to privacy. Attorneys for the heirs call the video "computer-generated clickbait" which "detracts from the value of Carlin’s comedic works".
The Dudesy YouTube channel is hosted by comedians Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen, who used their own artificial intelligence technology to mimic Carlin's style. The unnamed developers of the technology are also named as defendants.
Carlin's daughter Kelly said the artificial intelligence video is "a poorly made copy of her father created for profit." She and other relatives call such use of Carlin's image "sacrilege" and demand to stop distributing the video, as well as compensation for damages.
Experts say the case raises important ethical questions about the use of artificial intelligence technology to mimic famous personalities without their consent. The lawsuit could set an important precedent in regulating such activities.
Go Deeper:
Source: NBC