Elon Musk Faces Lawsuit for Featuring AI-Generated Blade Runner Imagery at Robotaxi Event

Alcon Entertainment, the production company behind "Blade Runner 2049," has filed a lawsuit against Tesla, Elon Musk, and Warner Bros. Discovery, asserting that they infringed on their copyright during the We, Robot event. The lawsuit claims an AI image generator was used to create promotional art that closely resembles visuals from the 2017 sci-fi film.

On October 10th, just hours before the event, WBD and Tesla requested permission to use imagery from "Blade Runner 2049." However, since the event was set to be live-streamed internationally, proper clearance had to come from Alcon directly. When informed of the request, Alcon's legal team promptly denied permission to avoid any potential confusion.

Alcon's lawsuit highlights concerns regarding Musk's controversial behavior, stating, “Any prudent brand considering any Tesla partnership has to take Musk’s massively amplified, highly politicized behavior into account.” The company wanted to avoid any association between the "Blade Runner" franchise and Musk or Tesla.

Despite Alcon's refusal, Tesla is accused of using the AI image generator to create a stylized image that appeared during the We, Robot presentation. Musk referenced the "Blade Runner" franchise while discussing futuristic depictions, and the livestream featured an image of a character resembling one from the film.

Additionally, Alcon asserts that it was not informed of agreements between Tesla and WBD regarding the event, which allegedly included provisions allowing Tesla to draw direct connections between the Cybercab and the studio’s film catalog.

While the lawsuit does not specify the amount of damages sought, it clearly articulates that Musk, Tesla, and WBD were aware of the unauthorized nature of the image and the intentions behind its use.