A popular YouTube channel has created a new AI-generated comedy special starring George Carlin, which the comedian’s surviving family members are speaking out against.
AI is finding a lot of wonderous uses, but you also get things like a questionable Mario who appeared at CES or reports of AI being used to replace artists.
But the question of what’s appropriate or even right in how we use AI is at the forefront of the discussion. Now, comedy podcast and YouTube channel Dudesy is testing the waters of how AI can be used to produce content with a comedy special starring an AI recreation of late comedian George Carlin.
The hour-long special, titled I’m Glad I’m Dead, presents itself as an impression of what Carlin may think about events in the world today. However, surviving members of Carlin’s family are speaking out against the video.
Daughter of late George Carlin speaks out against AI-generated comedy special
Carlin’s daughter, Kelly, took to X to issue a statement about the new comedy special, heavily criticizing the video.
“My dad spent a lifetime perfecting his craft from his very human life, brain and imagination. No machine will ever replace his genius.” Carlin said, urging fans to let her father’s work stand the test of time on its own.
Fewer Ads|Dark Mode|Deals in Gaming, TV and Movies, and Tech
…that will never exist again. Let’s let the artist’s work speak for itself. Humans are so afraid of the void that we can’t let what has fallen into it stay there. 2/3
— Kelly Carlin (@kelly_carlin) January 11, 2024
“Here’s an idea, how about we give some actual living human comedians a listen to?” she added.
Dudesy is a YouTube channel and podcast run by Mad TV alum Will Sasso and writer Chad Kultgen. In the description of the video, the channel presents I’m Glad I’m Dead as something that may represent Carlin’s work if he were alive today.
“For the next hour I’ll be doing my best George Carlin impersonation just like a human being would. I tried to capture his iconic style to tackle the topics I think the comedy legend would be talking about today,” the description reads.
This is the second AI-generated comedy special to get the Dudesy channel in hot water. An April 2023 special that featured Tom Brady performing stand-up resulted in the threat of legal action, with Dudesy ultimately removing the video from its channel.
