SAG-AFTRA denounces ‘blatant infringement’ in Seedance AI videos
SAG-AFTRA joins the industry’s condemnation of ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, for releasing a new video model that has enabled widespread copyright infringement online.
SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin is among those whose likeness has been used in videos generated by the Seedance 2.0 model. In the videohe appears in the role of Samwise Gamgee from “The Lord of the Rings”, and says, “Mr. Frodo, why don’t we just take the Eagles straight to Mount Doom?”
The artists’ union called the Seedance videos – which also include Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise fighting on a roof – ‘blatant infringement’.
“SAG-AFTRA stands with the studios in condemning the egregious infringement enabled by ByteDance’s new AI video model Seedance 2.0,” the union said. “The infringement involves the unauthorized use of our members’ voices and likenesses. This is unacceptable and undermines the ability of human talent to make a living. Seedance 2.0 ignores laws, ethics, industry standards, and basic principles of consent. Responsible AI development requires responsibility, and that doesn’t exist here.”
The Motion Picture Association also condemned ByteDance on Thursday and called on the company to immediately cease its infringing conduct.
The Human Artistry Campaign, a coalition of artists’ rights groups affiliated with Hollywood unions, also spoke out against the AI model on Friday.
“The launch of Seedance 2.0 is an attack on every creator around the world,” a campaign spokesperson said. “Stealing the work of human creators in an attempt to replace them with AI-generated nonsense is destructive to our culture: stealing is not innovation. These unauthorized deepfakes and voice clones of actors violate the most fundamental aspects of personal autonomy and should be deeply concerning to everyone. Authorities should use every legal tool at their disposal to stop this massive theft.”
Seedance appears to represent a significant advance over previous AI video platforms, as it combines audio and video to create a more cinematic feel.
SAG-AFTRA has been aiming to set up guardrails around AI replication of actors’ likenesses for several years. In 2023, the union went on strike to implement the principle of ‘consent and compensation’ for any such use of a recognizable actor by the major studios.
The union is currently in the midst of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on a follow-on agreement that would build on the previous deal.
