Hollywood’s Outcry Over ByteDance’s AI Video Generator Seedance 2.0
The entertainment industry is currently embroiled in a heated debate over ByteDance’s latest artificial intelligence (AI) video generation tool, Seedance 2.0. This innovative model enables users to create 15-second videos from simple text prompts, a feature that has raised significant concerns among Hollywood studios and content creators.
ByteDance, the Chinese tech giant known for its popular app TikTok, recently introduced Seedance 2.0 to users of its Jianying app in China. The company has announced plans to expand this feature to global users through its CapCut app. While the technology showcases impressive capabilities, it has also been criticized for lacking adequate safeguards against the unauthorized use of real individuals’ likenesses and copyrighted material.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA), representing major Hollywood studios, has been particularly vocal in its opposition. MPA CEO Charles Rivkin issued a statement demanding that ByteDance immediately cease its infringing activity, highlighting that Seedance 2.0 has facilitated unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted works on a massive scale. Rivkin emphasized that such practices undermine established copyright laws that protect creators’ rights and support millions of American jobs.
The Human Artistry Campaign, an initiative supported by various Hollywood unions and trade groups, condemned Seedance 2.0 as an attack on every creator around the world. Similarly, the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) expressed solidarity with studios, denouncing the blatant infringement enabled by ByteDance’s new AI video model Seedance 2.0.
Specific instances of alleged infringement have further intensified the controversy. Users have reportedly generated videos featuring Disney-owned characters such as Spider-Man, Darth Vader, and Grogu (commonly known as Baby Yoda). In response, Disney has taken legal action, sending a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance. The letter accuses the company of a virtual smash-and-grab of Disney’s IP, alleging that ByteDance is hijacking Disney’s characters by reproducing, distributing, and creating derivative works featuring those characters.
Paramount Pictures has also entered the fray, issuing a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance. The letter claims that much of the content that the Seed Platforms produce contains vivid depictions of Paramount’s famous and iconic franchises and characters, and that this content is often indistinguishable, both visually and audibly, from Paramount’s films and TV shows.
The rapid advancement of AI-driven content creation tools like Seedance 2.0 has sparked a broader conversation about the balance between technological innovation and intellectual property rights. While these tools offer exciting possibilities for creators, they also pose significant challenges in ensuring that the rights of original content creators are respected.
As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how ByteDance will address these concerns and whether regulatory bodies will step in to establish clearer guidelines for the use of AI in content creation. The outcome of this dispute could have far-reaching implications for the future of AI-generated media and the protection of intellectual property in the digital age.
