‘Blade Runner 2049’ producers sue Elon Musk and Tesla over AI image at robotaxi event

LOS ANGELES — A film production company that helped make “Blade Runner 2049” has sued Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk for using an AI-generated image resembling a scene from the sci-fi film to market Tesla’s new robotaxis.

Alcon Entertainment said it denied all permissions, but Tesla is said to have used artificial intelligence to “do it all anyway” as the automaker revealed his long-awaited robotaxi on Oct. 10 during a live-streamed event on a Warner Bros. studio lot. in Burbank, California.

After taking the stage in one of the company’s “Cybercabs,” Musk gave a speech with a brief reference to the film franchise. As he spoke, a screen showed an image of a man in a long coat looking over an orange-hued destroyed city. Alcon claims it resembles a key scene in which star Ryan Gosling arrives in Las Vegas.

“I love Blade Runner, but I don’t know if we want that future,” Musk said. “I think we want that duster he’s wearing, but not the gloomy apocalypse.”

A lawsuit Alcon filed this week in a Southern California federal court alleges that defendants previously requested permission to use images from the film, but Alcon “denied all permission and strongly objected.”

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

Alcon is also suing Warner Bros, the film’s distributor who also organized Musk’s robotaxi event. Warner Bros. Discovery did not immediately respond to a request for comment.