While AI is sparking intellectual property debates, funnyman Bill Bellamy's making it clear ... he's not down with the tech using his jokes -- and the fact is, he's still feeling some kinda way about a different financial loss.
We linked with Bill out in NYC and tackled the ongoing discussion about artificial intelligence ... and he's unapologetically Team Human.
Bill not only thinks AI would have a hard time matching his joke-writing wit, he also believes deceased superstars -- like Michael Jackson, Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. -- would also frown upon their voices being remixed without legal approval.
We also talked to Bill about a golden opportunity he admits missing out on back in the '90s -- namely, not trademarking the "booty call" catchphrase he coined as a young comic on Def Comedy Jam.
The phrase has since been placed in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, and Hollywood also took advantage ... tapping Jamie Foxx and Vivica A. Fox for the 1997 rom-com.
Speaking of Jamie, Bill tells us his inner circle relayed positive news about the Academy Award winner's condition after he suffered a medical emergency in Atlanta.
Bill says the word he got is Jamie's recovering nicely, and Martin Lawrence has said he heard the same. So, we'll take the good news!!!