ByteDance to Revise AI Safeguards After Hollywood Alarm
▼ Summary
– TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is working to improve safeguards on its new AI video generator, Seedance 2.0, after copyright complaints from major studios.
– Disney and Paramount sent cease and desist letters, accusing the tool of illegally using their protected characters and creating derivative works.
– Hollywood trade groups, including the Motion Picture Association and SAG-AFTRA, have also condemned the tool for large-scale copyright infringement.
– The complaints focus on the unauthorized use of actor likenesses, such as Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, and characters from shows like *Family Guy* and *Pokémon*.
– SAG-AFTRA stated the tool disregards law and ethics, undercutting performers’ livelihoods and lacking responsible AI development principles.
Following significant pressure from major Hollywood studios and industry groups, ByteDance has announced it will enhance protective measures for its advanced AI video generation tool. The company’s Seedance 2.0 model recently sparked widespread controversy after generating hyperrealistic videos featuring the likenesses of high-profile actors like Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, as well as copyrighted characters from franchises including Disney, Paramount’s Dragon Ball Z, Family Guy, and Pokémon. This viral content prompted immediate legal and ethical complaints, leading to the current reassessment of the platform’s safeguards.
A ByteDance spokesperson stated the firm respects intellectual property rights and is actively working to strengthen existing systems. The goal is to prevent users from generating unauthorized content that infringes on protected likenesses and creative works. This commitment comes directly in response to formal legal challenges from entertainment giants.
The controversy escalated rapidly when The Walt Disney Company sent a cease and desist letter, accusing ByteDance of effectively hijacking its characters by enabling the reproduction, distribution, and creation of derivative works without permission. Shortly after, Paramount Global issued its own legal demand, insisting ByteDance remove all existing infringing content featuring its properties and implement blocks to prevent future generation.
Industry trade organizations have joined the fray, amplifying the call for accountability. The Motion Picture Association (MPA) characterized the situation as copyright infringement on a massive scale, arguing that such actions disregard legal frameworks that support countless jobs across the American entertainment sector. Similarly, the talent union SAG-AFTRA condemned the unauthorized use of its members’ voices and likenesses, stating it undermines performers’ ability to earn a living.
In a strongly worded statement, SAG-AFTRA officials declared the situation unacceptable, accusing the AI tool of flouting law, ethics, and fundamental consent. They emphasized that responsible innovation in artificial intelligence must include respect for creative rights, a principle they found lacking in this instance. The unified push from content creators and rights holders highlights a growing global tension between rapid AI advancement and the protection of established intellectual property.
(Source: The Verge)
