Blade Runner 2049 Producer Sues Tesla and Warner Bros Over Unauthorized Use of AI-Generated Images

A production company behind the film Blade Runner 2049 has filed a lawsuit against Tesla, Elon Musk, and Warner Bros Discovery, alleging the unauthorized use of imagery from the movie. Alcon Entertainment claims that despite explicitly rejecting a request from Warner Bros to use content from the film, Tesla and the event coordinators utilized artificial intelligence to generate promotional visuals inspired by Blade Runner 2049 during the launch event for Tesla’s robotaxi on October 10.

The lawsuit asserts that the use of these visuals resulted in a significant financial impact and created a “false endorsement” by implying a relationship between Alcon and Tesla, as well as Warner Bros, which held the robotaxi launch at one of its film studios. Warner Bros was also the distributor for Blade Runner 2049 upon its 2017 release.

Elon Musk has previously referenced the original Blade Runner film, noting its influence on the design of Tesla’s Cybertruck. The current lawsuit highlights concerns about Musk’s behavior and its potential impact on brand partnerships. Alcon is currently working on a television spinoff series titled Blade Runner 2099.

In a related incident, the director of the 2004 film I, Robot, Alex Proyas, accused Elon Musk of imitating his designs for humanoid robots and autonomous vehicles. Proyas’ comments, which drew significant online attention, were met with skepticism by some users who argued that Proyas’ own film lacks originality.