ByteDance, the Chinese online tech giant that owns TikTok outside the US, says it will “strengthen current safeguards” on its AI video-generator Seedance after legal threats from Hollywood studios over the use of IP in short-form videos on social media.

Seedance 2.0 has seen the rapid creation and proliferation of hyper-realistic short-form videos featuring some of world’s biggest movie and TV stars, as well as characters from Marvel, DC, Star Wars and other popular franchises. An AI-generated clip created with the tool, appearing to show Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise fighting, sparked concern over its infringement potential. Disney sent a cease and desist letter to ByteDance over the infringement of its IP.

The Motion Picture Association, and the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA accused Seedance of “blatant infringement […] The infringement includes the unauthorised use of our members’ voices and likenesses. This is unacceptable and undercuts the ability of human talent to earn a livelihood.”

ByteDance told the BBC that the company “respects intellectual property rights, and we have heard the concerns regarding Seedance 2.0,” adding: “We are taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorised use of intellectual property and likeness by users.”

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Categories: AI, Articles, Policy, Regulation

Tags: AI, brad pitt, Bytedance, Disney, Tom Cruise