Hollywood organizations are pushing back against a new AI video model calledSeedance 2.0, which they say has quickly become a tool for “blatant” copyright infringement.
ByteDance, the Chinese company that recently finalized a deal to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations (itretains a stake in the new joint venture), launched Seedance 2.0 earlier this week. According to the Wall Street Journal, the updated model is currently available to Chinese users of ByteDance’s Jianying app, and the company says it will soon be available to global users of its CapCut app.
Similar to tools such asOpenAI’s Sora, Seedance allows users to create videos (currently limited to 15 seconds in length) by just entering a text prompt. And like Sora, Seedance quickly drew criticism for an apparent lack of guardrails around the ability to create videos using the likeness of real people, as well as studios’ intellectual property.
After one X userposted a brief videoshowing Tom Cruise fighting Brad Pitt, which they said was created by “a 2 line prompt in seedance 2,” “Deadpool” screenwriterRhett Reese responded, “I hate to say it. It’s likely over for us.”
The Motion Picture Association soon issueda statementfrom CEO Charles Rivkin demanding that ByteDance “immediately cease its infringing activity.”
“In a single day, the Chinese AI service Seedance 2.0 has engaged in unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted works on a massive scale,” Rivkin said. “By launching a service that operates without meaningful safeguards against infringement, ByteDance is disregarding well-established copyright law that protects the rights of creators and underpins millions of American jobs.”
The Human Artistry Campaign — an initiative backed by Hollywood unions and trade groups —condemned Seedance 2.0as “an attack one very creator around the world,” whilethe actors’ union SAG-AFTRA saidit “stands with the studios in condemning the blatant infringement enabled by Bytedance’s new AI video model Seedance 2.0.”
Seedance videos have apparently featured Disney-owned characters such as Spider-Man, Darth Vader, and Grogu, better known as Baby Yoda, prompting the company to take legal action.Axios reports that Disney has sent a cease-and-desist letteraccusing ByteDance of a “virtual smash-and-grab of Disney’s IP”and claiming the Chinese company is “hijacking Disney’s characters by reproducing, distributing, and creating derivative works featuring those characters.”
Disney isn’t necessarily opposed to working with AI companies — while it has reportedlysent a cease-and-desist letter to Googleover similar issues, it’ssigned a three-year licensing deal with OpenAI.
TechCrunch has reached out to ByteDance for comment.
Source: Techcrunch
