Stand-up comedian George Carlin was brought back to life with the help of an AI-generative comedy special called "George Carlin: I'm Glad I'm Dead."
The AI-generated impression of Carlin talked about modern topics spanning from the American class system, streaming services, social media, and even AI itself.
AI-Generated Carlin Impressionist Revives His Comedy Style
The comedy special was an hour-long episode published by Dudesy, a comedy AI podcast and YouTube show host. In a pre-episode disclosure, Dudesy revealed that he listened to all of Carlin's material to nail the impersonation.
"I just want to let you know very clearly that what you're about to hear is not George Carlin. It's my impersonation of George Carlin that I developed in the exact same way a human impressionist would," the AI host stated.
The episode primarily talked about the current events and trends in modern America. The AI host shared that the topics were picked based on the subjects that would have interested Carlin if he had been alive today.
Late Comedian's Daughter Speaks Against Generative AI
While many fans of Carlin's were happy to hear the comedian's voice again through AI, Carlin's daughter expressed her dismay at the comedy special. She also clarified that no permission was granted to use his late father's material for the AI.
"My dad spent a lifetime perfecting his craft from his very human life, brain, and imagination. No machine will ever replace his genius," Kelly Carlin wrote.
AI has no play instinct. It’s a dead machine stealing others’ lives to “create” something new. #ResistZombieCreation https://t.co/2xDZK6eIGg
— Kelly Carlin (@kelly_carlin) January 10, 2024
The comedian's daughter also recommended that it would be better to listen to "actual living human comedians." Moreover, she stated that her father has 14 specials that can be found anywhere, instead of supporting AI-generated content.
