Hollywood raises copyright alarm over ByteDance's new AI video tool
What's the story
Hollywood is up in arms against a new artificial intelligence (AI) video model, Seedance 2.0, from Chinese tech giant ByteDance. The industry claims that the tool has been used for "blatant" copyright infringement. The Wall Street Journal reports that Seedance 2.0 was launched earlier this week and is currently available to Chinese users of ByteDance's Jianying app. It will soon be available on CapCut app globally, the company said.
Tool features
Seedance 2.0 allows creation of videos using real people's likenesses
Seedance 2.0, like OpenAI's Sora, lets users create videos by just entering a text prompt. However, the tool has been criticized for allowing the creation of videos using real people's likenesses and studios' intellectual property without any restrictions. This was highlighted when an X user posted a short video showing Tom Cruise fighting Brad Pitt, claiming it was made with "a 2 line prompt in Seedance 2."
Industry backlash
MPA demands ByteDance to stop 'infringing activity'
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has demanded ByteDance "immediately cease its infringing activity." MPA CEO Charles Rivkin said, "In a single day, the Chinese AI service Seedance 2.0 has engaged in unauthorized use of US copyrighted works on a massive scale." He accused ByteDance of launching a service without meaningful safeguards against infringement and disregarding well-established copyright law that protects creators' rights and underpins millions of American jobs.
Global concerns
Other Hollywood bodies, unions have also condemned the AI tool
The Human Artistry Campaign, a coalition of Hollywood unions and trade groups, condemned Seedance 2.0 as "an attack on every creator around the world." The actors' union SAG-AFTRA also condemned the blatant infringement enabled by ByteDance's new AI video model. Disney has already taken legal action against ByteDance for using its characters in Seedance videos without permission. The company sent a cease-and-desist letter accusing ByteDance of a "virtual smash-and-grab of Disney's IP."