The estate of the legendary comedian George Carlin has reached a settlement with the creators of a podcast who used artificial intelligence to impersonate Mr. Carlin for a comedy special. The settlement, announced on Monday, includes the permanent removal of the special and a promise to never repost it on any platform.
Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen, the hosts of the podcast “Dudesy,” agreed to the terms set by Mr. Carlin’s estate, which also prohibits them from using Mr. Carlin’s image, voice, or likeness without approval. The details of any monetary damages involved in the settlement were not disclosed.
The lawsuit, filed in January, accused Sasso and Kultgen of infringing on Mr. Carlin’s copyrights by training an A.I. algorithm on his work for the special “George Carlin: I’m Glad I’m Dead.” The lawsuit also claimed they illegally used Mr. Carlin’s name and likeness.
Josh Schiller, a lawyer for Mr. Carlin’s estate, emphasized the importance of addressing the potential dangers of A.I. tools that can mimic voices and alter content. Kelly Carlin, George Carlin’s daughter, expressed relief that the suit was resolved quickly and hoped it would serve as a warning about the risks associated with A.I. technologies.
The comedy special in question, “George Carlin: I’m Glad I’m Dead,” featured a disclaimer at the beginning stating that the impersonation of Mr. Carlin was developed by the hosts in the same way a human impressionist would. The special touched on various current events, with a voice similar to Carlin’s discussing topics like homelessness, the police, mass shootings, and artificial intelligence.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Sasso clarified in January that the character Dudesy on the podcast was a fictional creation by the hosts and not actually an A.I. The settlement marks a resolution to a legal battle that raises important questions about the use of A.I. technology in entertainment.
