An AI-generated video showing Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise brawling on a rooftop has gone viral, drawing new attention to Hollywood’s escalating battle over artificial intelligence.
The clip has become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over how emerging tools affect performers, with Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise now being cited in industry discussions about digital abuse and worker protections.
The 15-second video was created using Seedance 2.0, an AI video generator released this week by TikTok’s parent company ByteDance. After it spread across social platforms, the Motion Picture Assn. said the clip violated copyright rules because it used the actor’s likeness without permission.
Charles Rivkin, the association’s chief executive, said the companies operating the tools should stop their efforts to infringe on existing copyrights, claiming Seadance 2.0 was quick to distribute unauthorized uses of U.S. creative works. Rivkin added that the lack of safeguards shows that long-standing copyright protections, which have supported millions of jobs, are being ignored.
AI clip of Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise goes viral, raising concerns in Hollywood
Irish film director Ruairi Robinson posted a video to X, explaining that he created the video using just two lines of text. The post raised concerns among filmmakers and screenwriters who are concerned about how quickly AI tools can match or exceed traditional production quality.
This was a two-line prompt in Seadance 2. If Hollywood is cooked, then maybe everyone is right. If Hollywood is cooked, everyone is overcooked. pic.twitter.com/dNTyLUIwAV
— Ruairi Robinson (@RuairiRobinson) February 11, 2026
Reacting to the clip, screenwriter and producer Rhett Reese, known for projects such as Deadpool and Zombieland, said the technology would soon allow anyone to create a movie that closely resembles a major studio release.
Rees said he was concerned about the realism of the video and expressed concern that rapid advances in AI could dramatically change or diminish creative work.
Union leaders condemn unauthorized use of actors’ portraits
These concerns echo the arguments that fueled the 2023 strike by SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America. Some members argue that the protections negotiated at the time are no longer commensurate with the speed of AI advancement.
SAG-AFTRA resumed contract talks with studios this week, but the union signaled that AI remains one of its top priorities. Negotiators are considering something called the Tilly tax, which studios would have to pay if they use AI performers. The proposal comes in the wake of Hollywood’s first AI actor, Tilly Norwood.
SAG-AFTRA said in a statement that it supports the studio’s criticism of SeaDance 2.0, noting that the video shows unauthorized replicas of the performers’ likenesses and voices.
The union said these practices undermine talent’s ability to earn a living and reflect a disregard for industry standards, consent principles and ethical responsibilities.
