George Carlin’s estate sues over AI comedy special: ‘A casual theft of a great American artist’s work’

George Carlin’s estate is suing the creators of an artificial intelligence (AI) version of the comedian, saying it’s “not the beautiful human who defined his generation,” but a “poorly-executed facsimile.”

In a lawsuit filed late Thursday in a federal court in Los Angeles, the estate of the comedy legend, including his daughter, Kelly Carlin, allege the online media company Dudesy violated the politically charged comic’s right to publicity and copyright infringement.

Dudesy, run by Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen, released an hourlong audio comedy special earlier this month called, “George Carlin: I’m Glad I’m Dead.”

In the introduction to the special posted on YouTube, a “comedy AI” tells listeners: “I just want you to know very clearly that you’re about to hear is not George Carlin. It’s my impersonation of George Carlin that I developed in the exact same way a human impressionist would.”

“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’ve interested him today,” the Dudesy special said.

The “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” comedian died in 2008 at 71.

The lawsuit accuses the team behind the comedy special of “using Carlin’s copyrighted works” to create a “script for a fake George Carlin comedy special” to produce a “sound-alike of George Carlin to ‘perform’ the generated script.”

“None of the defendants had permission to use Carlin’s likeness,” nor “did they have a license to use any of the late comedian’s copyrighted materials,” the suit said.

The special is “not a creative work,” according to the complaint. “It is a piece of computer-generated click-bait which detracts from the value of Carlin’s comedic works and harms his reputation. It is a casual theft of a great American artist’s work.”

In a statement issued along with the lawsuit, Kelly Carlin said: “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.”

“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,” she said.

Dudesy’s Sasso and Kultgen could not immediately be reached for comment.

New AI rules were put in place as part of a deal reached to end last year’s Hollywood writers strikes. Hollywood writers have significant influence over when generative AI tools can be used for TV and movie scripts, as part of the agreement.

Josh Schiller, an attorney representing Carlin’s estate in the lawsuit, said in a statement: “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.”

The complaint is seeking unspecified damages as well as the immediate removal of “any video or audio copies” of the special.