The production company behind the 2017 sci-fi film “Blade Runner 2049” filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk and Tesla in federal court on Monday, alleging that they fed footage from the film, without permission, into an artificial intelligence generator to promote Tesla’s Cybercab.
Key data
Alcon Entertainment filed a lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday, listing as defendants Musk, Tesla and Warner Bros. Discovery (a distributor of “Blade Runner 2049,” which also featured the ad for “Blade Runner 2049”). Tesla robotaxi on its Burbank, California lot).
Alcon alleged that Musk and Tesla had requested, and were denied, permission to use footage from “Blade Runner 2049” in their presentation of Tesla’s Cybercab earlier this month, and instead fed footage from the film to a generator. AI to create similar images.
The production company also alleged that Warner Bros. does not own the copyright to “Blade Runner 2049” and stated that the company would have been legally required to ask Alcon for permission to use images from the film in the Tesla presentation, which Alcon says which he didn’t do.
Alcon alleged that Musk and Tesla intended to pass off the AI-generated image, which it says was on screen for 11 seconds, as an actual frame from “Blade Runner,” citing comments Musk made while the image was on screen for the presentation: “You know, I love ‘Blade Runner,’” Musk said, before explaining how his Cybercab is less dystopian than the movie.
The lawsuit calls Musk “troublemaker” and says Alcon does not want to be associated with the billionaire, who has become increasingly outspoken and in the news for promoting former President Donald Trump, due to his “extreme political and social views.” .
Key background
Musk unveiled Tesla’s Cybercab in a presentation on October 11. Musk, who has long promised self-driving technology but frequently misses his own deadlines, said self-driving taxis will be in production within three years. The taxis have no steering wheel or pedals, and Musk said they will be priced under $30,000. He also presented a “robovan” that, according to him, can transport up to 20 people. But investors and analysts seemed unimpressed by his announcement: Tesla shares fell 8% the next morning, and some analysts said Musk’s presentation was short on details and lacked a solid timeline. Musk has long cited “Blade Runner” as inspiration for his Tesla technology. In a 2023 tweet, he called Tesla’s Cybertruck an “armored personnel carrier of the future: what Bladerunner would have driven.” In another tweet earlier that year, Musk said Cybertrucks were “designed for Bladerunner.”
Surprising fact
Alex Proyas, director of “I, Robot” (2004), also criticized Musk for the similarities between Tesla’s designs and his own science fiction film. “Hey Elon, can I have my designs back please?” Proyas posted on Matt Granger, Proyas’ assistant on “I, Robot,” said in an apparently deleted tweet: “I too want to offer my ‘fuck you’ with all my fingers to Elon and his utter lack of creativity,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Tangent
“Blade Runner 2049” premiered in theaters in October 2017, directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. The film, a sequel to “Blade Runner” (1982), was a critical success and won two Oscars. The film is set in a dystopian and technologically advanced society. Alcon said in its lawsuit against Musk that it is “no coincidence” that it chose to reference “Blade Runner 2049” in its presentation, as the film features a “stunningly designed, artificially intelligent and fully autonomous car.”
Forbes Rating
Forbes estimates that Musk is worth $245.8 billion as of Monday afternoon, making him the richest person in the world. Musk owns about 12% of Tesla, as well as 42% of his spacecraft company, SpaceX.
This article was originally published by Forbes US.
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