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Elon Musk sued for using Blade Runner imagery in Tesla robotaxi event
The Cybercab unveiling earlier this month included a presentation slide with an AI-generated image similar to a shot from the film
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Hollywood filmmaker Alcon Entertainment is suing Elon Musk, saying Tesla used imagery inspired by the 2017 movie Blade Runner 2049 at a recent event even after permission was denied.
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The production company, which has also financed and produced films such as The Blind Side, filed a lawsuit accusing Musk of copyright infringement, saying it specifically declined to grant permission to use the images.
Alcon also alleges Tesla did not reach out for permission until the day of the event, which was held on October 10. Musk, Tesla and Warner Brothers Discovery, which hosted the event in a studio lot, are listed as defendants.
The long-anticipated Cybercab unveiling earlier this month was dubbed “We, Robot” – likely in reference to a book by Isaac Asimov with a similar name, or a 2004 film. Tesla unveiled a fully autonomous vehicle, which lacks controls such as a steering wheel and pedals.
It featured images inspired by Blade Runner 2049, which features driverless vehicles. The presentation included a slide with an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated image that was similar to a shot from the movie, where Ryan Gosling’s character looks out into an apocalyptic world.
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Tesla, Musk and Warner Brothers Discovery did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the suit.
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