The Hollywood backlash against Seedance 2.0 is growing.
The Human Artistry Campaign, which counts the likes of SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America among its members, has joined the Motion Picture Association in condemning the AI model released by ByteDance, the Chinese tech giant that owns TikTok.
In a statement, the Human Artistry Campaign said: “The launch of Seedance 2.0 is an attack on every creator around the world. Stealing human creators’ work in an attempt to replace them with AI-generated slop is destructive to our culture: stealing isn’t innovation.
“These unauthorized deepfakes and voice clones of actors violate the most basic aspects of personal autonomy and should be deeply concerning to everyone. Authorities should use every legal tool at their disposal to stop this wholesale theft.”
ByteDance has not responded to a request for comment.
Deadline was among the first to note that Seedance 2.0 had unleashed a slew of authentic-looking deepfakes based on the copyright of Hollywood film and TV studios. A Tom Cruise vs Brad Pitt fight scene went particularly viral, while other popular videos have included alternative endings to series like Stranger Things (one post has more than 2M views).
On Thursday, an MPA spokesperson said: “In a single day, the Chinese AI service Seedance 2.0 has engaged in unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted works on a massive scale. By launching a service that operates without meaningful safeguards against infringement, ByteDance is disregarding well-established copyright law that protects the rights of creators and underpins millions of American jobs. ByteDance should immediately cease its infringing activity.”
The Human Artistry Campaign advocates for responsible AI. It recently launched the “Stealing Isn’t Innovation” movement, which has been signed by Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Paul Feig also joined the campaign.
Want to know more about how AI is disrupting Hollywood? Read Deadline’s Rendering column.
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