ByteDance, the Chinese tech giant responsible for TikTok, has announced it will limit its AI video creation tool following legal threats from Disney and pushback from various media companies, according to multiple reports.
The AI video generator, Seedance 2.0, launched last week, has alarmed Hollywood as users can produce remarkably realistic clips featuring movie stars and superheroes using nothing but brief text prompts.
Multiple prominent Hollywood studios have accused the tool of violating copyright laws.
On Friday, Walt Disney reportedly issued a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance, claiming that the company had provided Seedance with a “pirated library” featuring characters from its Marvel and Star Wars franchises, as reported by Axios.
Disney’s legal team accused ByteDance of committing a “virtual smash-and-grab” in its use of their intellectual property, according to BBC reports.
In response, ByteDance informed the BBC that it “respects intellectual property rights” and is aware of the concerns surrounding Seedance 2.0.
A spokesperson for ByteDance stated that the company is “taking measures to enhance existing safeguards as we aim to prevent unauthorized use of intellectual properties and likenesses by users,” but offered no further details on its plans.
Seedance can generate videos from just a few lines of text. Last week, Rhett Reese, co-writer of *Deadpool & Wolverine*, *Zombieland*, and *Now You See Me: Now You Don’t*, remarked, “it’s likely over for us” after viewing an AI-generated clip featuring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt engaging in a fight.
He further noted: “In a very short time, one individual could sit at a computer and create a film indistinguishable from current Hollywood productions. Admittedly, if that person lacks talent, the result will be subpar. However, if someone with the skill of Christopher Nolan emerges, it could be remarkable.”
The first version of Seedance was introduced in June of the previous year.
The Motion Picture Association, which represents Hollywood studios such as Paramount, Warner Bros, and Netflix, has accused ByteDance of engaging in “unauthorized use of US copyrighted works on a large scale”. Additionally, the actors’ union Sag-Aftra has labeled Seedance as “blatant infringement”.
This development marks the latest conflict in Hollywood amidst growing fears about AI’s influence on the future of entertainment. Artists and creative professionals have called for compensation for the utilization of their material and the establishment of licensing frameworks for legal use of their content.
In the previous year, Disney and NBCUniversal initiated a lawsuit against the AI image generator Midjourney for allegedly producing “countless unauthorized copies” of their works.
Nevertheless, creative companies are also forming partnerships with AI businesses. Last year, Disney made a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, alongside a three-year licensing deal that permits its Sora video generation tool to utilize some of Disney’s characters.
Both ByteDance and Walt Disney were contacted for comment.
