"George Carlin's Estate Resolves Lawsuit Over AI-Generated Comedy Podcast"

The estate of George Carlin has settled a lawsuit with podcasters who used AI to impersonate the late comedian's voice and style for an unauthorized special. The settlement marks the first resolution to a lawsuit over the misappropriation of a celebrity's voice using AI tools and comes amid growing concerns in Hollywood over the exploitation of personal brands without consent. The settlement includes an injunction barring further use of the video and serves as a blueprint for resolving similar disputes in the future. The legal battle stemmed from an hourlong special released on the podcast's YouTube channel, where an AI-generated George Carlin narrated commentary over images created by AI. The settlement comes as lawmakers are introducing legislation to prohibit the publication and distribution of unauthorized digital replicas, including deepfakes and voice clones.