The Motion Picture Association has denounced new AI video generator Seedance 2.0, saying it has “engaged in unathorized use of US copyrighted material on a massive scale.”
A video of Tom Cruise fighting Brad Pitt on a rooftop went viral this week, but there was one problem with the footage – neither Cruise nor Pitt were involved, with the sequence created by a brand-new AI service called Seedance 2.0.
Another clip soon did the rounds featuring Optimus Prime doing battle with Godzilla on a bridge; again the result of the same AI technology.
In a blog about the launch, ByteDance – the Chinese owner of TikTok, and the company behind the software – called it “a substantial leap in generation quality.” But the MPAA has been swift and damning in its response to Seedance 2.0.
MPAA claims ByteDance is “disregarding copyright law”
The Motion Picture Association of America represents the major Hollywood studios on industry issues like piracy and policy.
Following the flood of Seedance 2.0 videos on social media, the association released a statement saying the following (as per Variety):
“In a single day, the Chinese AI service Seedance 2.0 has engaged in unauthorized use of US copyrighted works on a massive scale. 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. ByteDance should immediately cease its infringing activity.”
ByteDance is yet to respond, but it’s worth noting that the MPAA issued a similar statement when OpenAI released Sora 2 last year, and OpenAI soon implemented safeguards to prevent copyright infringement.
Hollywood reacts to Seedance 2.0 vids
Rhett Reese – co-writer of the Deadpool movies – was dismayed by the Cruise-Pitt video, writing on social media: “I hate to say it. It’s likely over for us…. In next to no time, one person is going to be able to sit at a computer and create a movie indistinguishable from what Hollywood now releases.”
Conversely Shang-Chi star Simu Liu was not impressed with the fight sequence, posting: “LOL anyone who has ever watched a martial arts movie knows this is absolutely dogsh*t.”
Meanwhile Ruairi Robinson – the director who crafted the Cruise clip in Seedance 2.0 – received widespread criticism for his work, and responded by asking “should I be killed for typing two lines and pressing a button?”
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