SAG-AFTRA has become the latest entity to condemn AI productions with images of real actors and references to pre-existing films.
The entertainment association described the eerily realistic creations as “blatant infringement” and named ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok and the innovator behind the viral AI model Seedance.
“SAG-AFTRA stands with the studios in condemning the blatant infringement enabled by ByteDance’s new AI video model Seedance 2.0,” the organization’s official statement revealed.
“The violation includes the unauthorized use of our members’ voices and likenesses. This is unacceptable and undermines the ability of human talent to earn a living. Seedance 2.0 flouts legislation, ethics, industry standards and basic principles of consent. Responsible AI development requires accountability, and that is non-existent here.”
In addition, SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin was also one of the stars whose likeness was exploited in the latest Seedance trend.
His character from The Lord of the Rings franchise, Samwise Gamgee, appeared in one of the AI videos circulating online.
The footage, which is no longer available due to copyright infringement, was shared on X (formerly Twitter) with the description “LOTR in 15 seconds”.
Meanwhile, the Seedance AI trend has been criticized by various players in the entertainment industry, including Disney.
According to Blackthe company sent a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance’s general counsel John Rogovin on Friday, citing “intentional, pervasive and totally unacceptable” use of Disney-owned IP.
While the current discourse was initially kick-started by the AI creation of an action sequence with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, shared on X and widely circulated soon after, leading to further such videos and countless responses.
