‘Blade Runner 2049’ producers sue Elon Musk and Tesla over AI image at robotaxi event

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A film production company that helped make “Blade Runner 2049” has sued Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, for using an AI-generated image similar to a scene from the sci-fi movie to market the new robotaxis from Tesla.

Alcon Entertainment said it refused all permissions, but Tesla reportedly used artificial intelligence to “do everything anyway” when the automaker unveiled its long-awaited robotaxi on Oct. 10 during a live-streamed event from a Warner Bros. studio. . .

After taking the stage in one of the company’s “Cybercabs,” Musk gave a speech that included a brief reference to the film franchise. As he spoke, a screen showed an image of a man in a long coat looking at an orange ruined city. Alcon claims it resembles a key scene in which star Ryan Gosling arrives in Las Vegas.

“I love Blade Runner, but I don’t know if we want that future,” Musk said. “I think we want that duster he’s using, but not the dark apocalypse.”

A lawsuit filed by Alcon this week in a Southern California federal court alleges that the defendants had previously requested permission to use footage from the film, but Alcon “refused all permissions and vehemently objected.”

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Alcon is also suing Warner Bros, the film’s distributor that also organized Musk’s robotaxi event. Warner Bros. Discovery did not immediately respond to a request for comment.