The renowned George Carlin compiled a list of seven words deemed unsuitable for television over half a century ago. Interestingly, a legal dispute has arisen in California federal court today, involving the estate of the late comedian and the creators of an AI-generated content piece that attempts to emulate Carlin’s style and adapt it to the year 2024.
The complaint filed for copyright infringement describes the AI-generated “George Carlin Special” as a distortion of Carlin’s authentic body of work. It asserts that the defendants’ creation lacks creativity, functioning more as computer-generated clickbait that tarnishes Carlin’s comedic legacy and reputation.
The lawsuit, directed at podcast hosts Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen, along with unidentified individuals, accuses the defendants of exploiting George Carlin’s name, persona, and content inappropriately. The AI project allegedly utilizes generated images of Carlin and mimics his distinctive tone.
The legal action sheds light on an hour-long AI-generated production titled “I’m Glad I was Dead,” featuring topics such as Reality TV, Trump, voting, and AI itself. Despite attempting to avoid direct copying of Carlin’s material posthumously, the special acknowledges drawing inspiration from Carlin’s voice and demeanor, albeit imperfectly.
George Carlin’s estate, represented by attorneys at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, deems the issue significant due to the ambiguous legal territory surrounding AI creations online. The lawsuit argues that the AI rendition misrepresents Carlin’s artistic essence and lacks comedic or creative merit, suggesting a violation of intellectual property rights.
Kelly Carlin, George Carlin’s daughter and a custodian of his legacy, criticized the AI project upon its release, emphasizing the irreplaceable nature of her father’s creativity and questioning the authenticity of AI-generated content in capturing his genius.
In reflection, George Carlin’s iconic “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” from 1972 includes profanities like “sh*t,” “p*ss,” “flack,” “clang,” “mother*cker,” and “t**ts.” Considering the context, it’s evident that some of these words would be deemed inappropriate in this scenario, highlighting the nuanced nature of content creation beyond AI-generated realms.
