Hollywood Studios Take Aim at AI Video Tool
Friday, 20 February, 2026141 words2 minutes
Major US film studios are demanding that ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese owner, immediately stop using their copyrighted content in its new AI video tool, Seedance 2.0. The tool can create highly realistic video clips from simple text descriptions, such as fight scenes between famous actors or reimagined TV show characters.
The Motion Picture Association, representing studios like Netflix, Disney, and Warner Bros, accused the service of "unauthorized use of US copyrighted works on a massive scale." Many viral clips feature real actors and scenes from popular films and TV shows without permission.
ByteDance responded that it has suspended the ability to upload images of real people and takes copyright infringement seriously. The company stated that the controversial content was created during a limited testing phase. However, Hollywood professionals remain concerned about the technology's impact on their careers and the film industry's future.
