Kelly Carlin, daughter of the late comedic legend George Carlin, is speaking out against an AI-generated comedy special using her father’s voice.
My statement regarding the AI generated George Carlin special: My dad spent a lifetime perfecting his craft from his very human life, brain and imagination. No machine will ever replace his genius. These AI generated products are clever attempts at trying to recreate a mind…1/3
— Kelly Carlin (@kelly_carlin) January 11, 2024
She posted about the situation on X, formerly Twitter, decrying the unauthorized use of her father’s vocal likeness on Wednesday, stating, “My dad spent a lifetime perfecting his craft from his very human life, brain and imagination.”
“No machine will ever replace his genius. These AI generated products are clever attempts at trying to recreate a mind that will never exist again,” she continued.
Carlin then declared, “Let’s let the artist’s work speak for itself.”
The hour-long special is called “George Carlin: I’m Glad I’m Dead!”
Here’s an idea, how about we give some actual living human comedians a listen to? But if you want to listen to the genuine George Carlin, he has 14 specials that you can find anywhere. 3/3
— Kelly Carlin (@kelly_carlin) January 11, 2024
She explained this is due to humanity’s fear “of the void,” and suggested, “Here’s an idea, how about we give some actual living human comedians a listen to?”
“But if you want to listen to the genuine George Carlin, he has 14 specials that you can find anywhere,” she concluded.
According to Entertainment Weekly, this is in response to a new AI-generated robo-Carlin special that dropped on Dudesy on Tuesday.
In his memoir “Last Words,” which was released after he died in 2008, George Carlin admitted that he was meticulous for writing down his thoughts and ideas in boxes of notes.
He worked tirelessly throughout his career, starting in radio and playing nightclubs. He eventually gained fame through his television appearances on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” and “The Merv Griffin Show.”
He starred in his first comedy special in the 70s and went on to become one of the most prolific comedians in American history. His honesty about life, politics, and society won over audiences of various beliefs and generations.
George Carlin also noted in his memoir that he wanted to be the next Jack Lemmon, but after working on a few movies, he realized that you “actually have to have talent” to be an actor.
It is unclear how he would feel about the AI-generated special were he alive today, but based on his own thoughts in “Last Words,” he was focused on connecting with others through originality, not replicas.
His philosophy was, “When you’re in front of an audience and you make them laugh at a new idea, you’re guiding the whole being for the moment.”
The show is the second Dudesy comedy special. The first, an AI-generated standup routine featuring the likeness of former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, was removed after Brady threatened legal action, Time magazine reported.
