A new comedy special starts with the quote, “I’m sorry it took me so long to come out with new material, but I do have a pretty good excuse. I was dead.”

The voice sounds like comedian George Carlin, but that would be impossible, as Carlin died in 2008. The voice in the special is actually generated by an artificial intelligence (AI).

“This is not my father. It’s so ghoulish. It’s so creepy,” Carlin’s daughter, Kelly Carlin-McCall, told As It Happens host Nil Köksal.

The YouTube account Dudesy, which is described as a podcast, artificial intelligence and “first of its kind media experiment,” released the hour-long special on Jan. 9. CBC reached out to the producers of Dudesy and its co-host Will Sasso for comment, but did not get a response.

Sasso and co-host Chad Kultgen say they can’t reveal the company behind the AI due to a non-disclosure agreement, according to Vice. The channel launched in March 2022.

Carlin-McCall said the channel never reached out to the family or asked for permission to use her father’s likeness. She says her father took great pride in the thought and effort he put into writing his material.

  • PugJesus
    1•10 months ago

    Yet no one even bothered. Why?

    Because China is economically important, unlike Israel, and can retaliate? Because China doesn’t recognize the ICJ’s jurisdiction? Because bringing a case against someone who directly has veto power is significantly fucking stupider than bringing a case against someone whose ally has veto power?

    That the UN has already recognized the position of Uyghurs in China, of course, is beyond the capability of tankies to understand, since you cretins are only interested in licking fascist boots.

    • queermunist she/her
      -5•10 months ago

      Because China, unlike Israel, doesn’t recognize the ICJ’s jurisdiction?

      China has a judge on the ICJ!

      That the UN has already recognized the position of Uyghurs in China, of course, is beyond the capability of tankies to understand, since you cretins are only interested in licking fascist boots.

      Last I checked, the U.N. rights council voted down the motion brought by United States, Canada and Britain to debate the matter.

      And as I keep pointing out, those same member states which accuse China of genocide are defending Israel. There’s no credibility to the accusations.

      • PugJesus
        2•10 months ago

        China has a judge on the ICJ!

        And so does the US, yet the US doesn’t recognize the ICJ’s jurisdiction over itself either. I see international politics are too complex for you to understand. Perhaps you should try something more like checkers.