In a case echoing recent AI-related IP disputes, Alcon Entertainment is suing Tesla, Elon Musk and Warner Bros. Discovery over the unauthorized use of Blade Runner 2049 imagery during Tesla’s cybercab launch event.
Alcon, the film’s owner, had explicitly refused Tesla’s request to use Blade Runner 2049 visuals, but the defendants allegedly proceeded to use an AI-generated image evoking the film’s aesthetic anyway. Alcon argues this was a deliberate choice to leverage the movie’s association with autonomous AI vehicles for Tesla’s marketing.
The lawsuit seeks injunctions, impoundment of infringing materials and damages. It highlights growing tensions between technological innovation and IP rights as AI blurs the lines between inspiration and infringement.
The outcome could set important precedents for how courts handle AI-generated content that mimics protected intellectual property, with far-reaching implications for the future of AI in marketing, entertainment and beyond.
