A film production company known for its work on “Blade Runner 2049” has initiated legal action against Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, for allegedly utilizing an AI-generated image that closely resembles a scene from the acclaimed science fiction film to promote Tesla’s newly launched robotaxis.
Alcon Entertainment contends that it denied all requests for permission; nonetheless, it claims that Tesla proceeded to use artificial intelligence to replicate the visuals in question. This incident occurred during a live-streamed event on October 10, where Musk introduced the long-anticipated robotaxi from the stage of a Warner Bros. studio lot situated in Burbank, California.
During the presentation, Musk showcased one of the company’s “Cybercabs” and made a brief acknowledgment of the “Blade Runner” movie franchise in his speech. As he spoke, the audience was presented with an image depicting a figure clad in a long coat, overlooking an orange-hued, desolate cityscape. Alcon alleges that this image bears resemblance to a pivotal moment in the film where actor Ryan Gosling’s character arrives in Las Vegas.
“I love Blade Runner, but I don’t know if we want that future,” Musk remarked during the event. “I think we want that duster he’s wearing, but not the bleak apocalypse.”
In a lawsuit submitted this week to a federal court in Southern California, Alcon claims that Tesla and Warner Bros. previously sought permission to use imagery from the film but were firmly denied as Alcon “refused all permissions and adamantly objected.”
As of now, Tesla has not offered any immediate response to inquiries regarding the lawsuit. Additionally, Alcon is pursuing litigation against Warner Bros., which is the distributor of the movie and also hosted the event for Musk’s robotaxi unveiling. Warner Bros. Discovery also has not provided a prompt response to requests for comment on the situation.
