Two more US industry groups have joined the fray over ByteDance’s new AI tool, Seedance 2.0.
Shortly after the tool became available on Thursday (February 12), the Motion Picture Association of Japan accused it of “massive” copyright infringement.
Now, performers union SAG-AFTRA has said in a statement that it stands with the studio in condemning the blatant violations enabled by Bytedance’s new AI video model, Seedance 2.0. This violation includes the unauthorized use of members’ voices and likenesses. This is unacceptable and undermines the ability of human talent to earn a living. Seedance 2.0 ignores the law, ethics, industry standards and fundamentals. Responsible AI development requires accountability, and that doesn’t exist here. ”
SAG-AFTRA Chairman Sean Astin is one of the actors whose images appeared in a clip produced by Seedance 2.0 and posted on social media sites, surprising many industry experts. The deepfake clip posted on lord of the rings A trilogy featuring AI versions of Astin and Elijah Wood as the characters played in the films.
Also joining in the alarm over ByteDance tools is the Human Artistry Campaign, a member organization that includes SAG-AFTRA, the American Society of Directors of American Cinema, and the European Writers’ Council.
“The launch of SeaDance 2.0 is an attack on all creators around the world. Stealing the work of human creators in an attempt to replace it with AI-generated slop is destructive to our culture. Stealing is not innovation,” the campaign said in a statement.
“These unauthorized deepfakes and actor voice clones violate the most fundamental aspects of personal autonomy and should be deeply concerning to everyone,” the statement continued. “Authorities should use all legal means at their disposal to stop this grand theft.”
ByteDance did not respond to a request for comment on its latest statement regarding Seedance 2.0 at the time of writing.
