It appeared AI was poised to revolutionize Hollywood, creating incredibly realistic videos of actors like Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in new scenarios, even alternate endings to popular shows like Game of Thrones and Stranger Things. However, these viral videos weren’t what they seemed. They were all generated by Seedance 2.0, an AI tool from TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance. The main issue? The videos used characters and footage owned by major studios like Disney, meaning this isn’t a threat to Hollywood, but a clear case of copyright infringement.
According to Axios, Disney has demanded that ByteDance stop using its copyrighted material to train artificial intelligence models. Disney claims ByteDance is using content from popular franchises like Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe without permission. This action comes as Disney itself begins working with OpenAI’s Sora platform to allow fans to legally create their own Disney-themed videos, signaling the company’s intent to protect its intellectual property.
Disney is strongly objecting to ByteDance’s use of its characters. Disney’s lawyer, David Singer, claims ByteDance is illegally copying, sharing, and creating new content based on Disney’s intellectual property. He described it as a deliberate and widespread misuse of Disney’s characters and warned that this is likely just the beginning, especially considering the platform Seedance has only been around for a few days.
As Singer pointed out, Seedance 2.0 quickly became popular online, with a video of a fake fight between Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt even catching the attention of Rhett Reese, a writer for Deadpool & Wolverine, who said he was surprised by how realistic it looked. Soon, Disney wasn’t the only one criticizing this new technology, which many saw as a threat to actors, writers, and the entire film industry.
Seedance 2.0 Was Slammed by SAG-AFTRA and The Human Artistry Campaign
Paramount Pictures
It’s no surprise that SAG-AFTRA reacted strongly and quickly to ByteDance’s new AI tool. After the 2023 strikes, where they extensively debated the use of AI in filmmaking, both the actors’ union and the Motion Picture Association were quick to oppose it.
SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union, strongly condemns ByteDance’s new AI video model, Seedance 2.0, joining studios in criticizing its use of actors’ voices and appearances without permission. The union stated this unauthorized use is unacceptable and threatens the ability of performers to make a living. Seedance 2.0 ignores legal and ethical boundaries, industry norms, and the fundamental principle of consent, demonstrating a lack of responsibility in AI development.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) stated that Seedance 2.0, a Chinese AI service, illegally used a large amount of copyrighted U.S. material in a single day. The MPA argues that ByteDance, by launching this service without proper protections against copyright violations, is violating established copyright laws and harming the livelihoods of creators and American jobs. They are calling on ByteDance to immediately stop this unauthorized use of copyrighted works.
The Human Artistry Campaign strongly condemned the launch of Seedance 2.0, calling it a threat to all creators. They argue that using AI to copy human work isn’t innovation, but theft, and that creating unauthorized deepfakes and voice clones violates personal rights. The campaign is urging legal authorities to take action and stop this widespread practice.
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Recent conflicts over AI were just a preview of what’s coming, as companies racing to profit from generative AI are aggressively using existing data. However, ByteDance may have gone too far with its latest project, and the lawsuit from Disney could be the first of many problems if the company doesn’t quickly address the issues it’s facing.
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2026-02-14 23:50