Seedance 2.0, the new AI video model from TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance, is being talked about as apparently regurgitating Hollywood intellectual property on an epic scale.
Users of SeaDance 2.0, which was released this week, are prompting the Chinese AI tool to create videos that appear to reuse copyrighted material from studios like Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Paramount with surprising accuracy.
A viral video allegedly created by Seedance 2.0 includes a deepfake fight between Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt; avengers/endgameOptimus Prime fighting Godzilla, and friend The scene where Rachel and Joey are played as otters.
Chinese state media has published articles touting SeaDance’s capabilities. Global Times Introducing the work of X/Twitter user el.cine, who posted a video containing a Captain America battle scene.
Reuters reported that Seadance has spread rapidly in China, with hashtags related to the AI model generating tens of millions of clicks on social media platform Weibo. Reuters added that a video of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West (now Yeh) singing in Mandarin has garnered attention.
ByteDance did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount were contacted for comment.
Observers pointed to the sophistication of the Seadance video and potential intellectual property issues. Roblox product manager and AI educator Peter Yang reposted the Cruise vs. Pitt video with the comment, “Everything you see from this model (Sedance 2) is copyright infringement.”
Rhett Reese deadpool & wolverine The co-writer said he was “shocked” by the quality of the Cruise vs. Pitt video and worried about the impact on the movie business.
“I’m not at all excited about AI invading creative endeavors. In fact, I’m horrified. So many people I love are facing the loss of careers they love. I myself am at risk,” he said on X/Twitter.
“I didn’t mean to sound blunt or flippant when I wrote ‘It’s over.’ The Pitt vs. Cruise video surprised me because it was so professional. That’s exactly why it scares me. My half-empty view is that Hollywood has been revolutionized and is on the verge of decline. If you really think the Pitt vs. Cruise video is unimpressive and vulgar, you have nothing to worry about. But I’m upset.”
rick and morty Writer Heather Ann Campbell wasn’t too worried. Writing for Blue Sky, she said: “Anyone with access to a modern AI visualization engine like Seadance is given complete control to create anything they can imagine, creating fanfiction.
“Even when you have an infinite budget to make authentic TV, movies, and animation, it seems like it’s hard to make something new. The first idea is almost always the hardest part.”
Scott Adkins is a martial artist who has appeared in films such as: John Wick: Chapter 4 and The Ripsaw a portrait of himself in one video allegedly created using Seedance.
Want to learn more about how AI is disrupting Hollywood? Read Deadline’s Rendering column.
