Legal battle erupts over AI-generated George Carlin comedy special

Image: YouTube / George Carlin

George Carlin's estate has filed a lawsuit against the producers of a one-hour comedy special featuring an AI-generated version of the late comedian, according to NBC News. Carlin's estate, including daughter Kelly Carlin, alleges that the online media platform Dudesy violated the performer's right to publicity and infringed upon copyright. 

The video is titled "George Carlin: I'm Glad I'm Dead," and features an hour of new "material" from the comedian who died in 2008. Despite its name and premise, the AI replication falls short of expectations. Limited to audio, the imitation lacks the distinct voice and comedic brilliance associated with Carlin. It essentially amounts to a subpar impersonation, featuring predictable punchlines and an absence of the comedian's trademark wordplay and righteous fury.

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23andMe changes terms of service to block class action lawsuits after massive hack

23andMe changes terms of service to block class action lawsuits after massive hack

Image: 23andMe

Genetic testing company 23andMe updated its terms of service to prevent customers from filing class action lawsuits or participating in a jury trial against the company, days after disclosing that hackers had breached its system and accessed the personal information of nearly seven million customers (half of its user base) in October.

The company emailed customers to announce that it had revised the “Dispute Resolution and Arbitration section” of its terms, which barred customers from filing class action lawsuits, a likely scenario given the scale of the hack. Customers who did not opt out of the new terms within 30 days would automatically agree to them, the email said.

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Dbrand and JerryRigEverything go after Casetify for infringing their Teardown products

Image: JerryRigEverything

Dbrand has sued Casetify for copying its Teardown products, which show the device internals on skins and cases. The accessory maker created the products with YouTuber Zack “JerryRigEverything” Nelson, who says they make accurate and detailed scans of each device. They also add some hidden features, such as a label with Nelson’s catchphrase and Dbrand’s logo, which they say Casetify copied.

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