A film production company involved in the creation of “Blade Runner 2049” has filed a lawsuit against Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, for allegedly using an AI-generated image that resembles a scene from the movie to promote Tesla’s new robotaxis.
Alcon Entertainment claims it denied all requests for permission, but Tesla proceeded to use artificial intelligence to replicate the imagery during the launch of its robotaxi on October 10 at a live-streamed event at the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank, California.
Musk mentions Blade Runner franchise in speech
During the event, Musk arrived on stage in one of Tesla’s “Cybercabs” and delivered a speech that briefly mentioned the “Blade Runner” franchise. While he spoke, a screen displayed an image of a man in a long coat overlooking a ruined city with an orange hue. According to Alcon, this scene closely resembles a pivotal moment from the film, in which Ryan Gosling’s character, aboard a “quasi-sentient flying car,” approaches an abandoned Las Vegas.
Musk also reportedly expressed admiration for “Blade Runner” but commented that while he appreciated the character’s duster coat, he did not envision a future resembling the movie’s dystopian landscape.
What is the lawsuit?
The copyright infringement lawsuit, filed in federal court in Southern California, asserts that Tesla requested permission to use the movie’s images only hours before the event, and Alcon strongly denied the request and opposed the use of any imagery.
Alcon has also named Warner Bros., the film’s distributor and host of the Tesla event, in the lawsuit. Warner Bros. Discovery has likewise not issued a response to the allegations.
Alcon, currently developing a spinoff series titled “Blade Runner 2099” for Amazon, stated that while it is in discussions with automakers about potential brand collaborations, it has deliberately avoided partnering with Tesla due to Musk’s controversial political and social views, as well as his unpredictable behavior, which they believe sometimes borders on hate speech.
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