SAG-AFTRA has joined the chorus of industry voices denouncing ByteDance, the Chinese company behind TikTok, for the release of Seedance 2.0, a new video model that has facilitated widespread copyright infringement online.
Among those affected by this infringement is SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin, whose likeness was used in a video generated by Seedance 2.0. In the video, Astin appears as Samwise Gamgee from “The Lord of the Rings,” uttering the iconic line, “Mr. Frodo, why don’t we just take the Eagles straight to Mount Doom?”
The union has labeled the Seedance videos, which feature unauthorized use of celebrities like Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, as “blatant infringement.” SAG-AFTRA has stood in solidarity with studios in condemning ByteDance’s actions, stating that the unauthorized use of members’ voices and likenesses undermines their ability to earn a living.
The Motion Picture Association has also condemned ByteDance, urging the company to cease its infringing behavior immediately. Additionally, the Human Artistry Campaign, a coalition of artists’ rights groups associated with Hollywood unions, has spoken out against the AI model, calling it an attack on creators worldwide.
Seedance 2.0 represents a significant advancement in AI video platforms, as it seamlessly blends audio and video to create a more cinematic experience. However, SAG-AFTRA has been advocating for safeguards around AI replication of actors’ likenesses for years, going as far as striking in 2023 to establish the principle of “consent and compensation” for the use of recognizable actors by major studios.
Currently, the union is engaged in negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on a new agreement that would expand on previous terms. The launch of Seedance 2.0 has reignited the conversation around the ethical use of AI in the entertainment industry, with many calling for legal action to combat this form of wholesale theft of creative content.
