Asger Risom
A viral AI video created with ByteDance’s new Seedance 2.0 tool shows hyper-realistic versions of Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise fighting over Jeffrey Epstein, prompting Hollywood to accuse the Chinese company of large-scale copyright infringement.
A hyper-realistic AI video showing digital versions of Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise fighting over Jeffrey Epstein is going viral — and reigniting copyright fears in Hollywood.
The clip, created using Seedance 2.0, a newly released video-generation model from ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, depicts the two actors trading punches on a rooftop in a cinematic action sequence.
“You killed Jeffrey Epstein, you animal! He was a good man!” the AI-generated Pitt shouts as he punches Cruise.
“He knew too much…” the Cruise lookalike replies.
The scene is not from an upcoming film. It was generated entirely with AI.
Hollywood alarm bells
Seedance 2.0 launched this week and has quickly drawn attention for its ability to generate hyper-realistic video using text prompts. Users can manipulate lighting, shadows, camera movement, and combine text, image, audio, and video inputs.
Clips featuring AI versions of major Hollywood actors and characters — including figures from franchises like Breaking Bad and the Marvel universe — have spread rapidly online.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA), which represents major US studios and streamers, accused ByteDance of infringement 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,” MPA chairman and CEO Charlie Rivkin said in a statement.
Another flashpoint in the AI race
The reaction in the US mirrors the shock that followed Chinese AI firm DeepSeek’s release of a reasoning model that rivaled top American systems, intensifying the technological rivalry between Washington and Beijing.
Seedance 2.0 is now being seen by some as another escalation in that race — this time targeting Hollywood and the entertainment industry.
“It’s happening fast,” Elon Musk wrote in response to one Seedance-generated clip shared on X.
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“We’re cooked,” another user posted.
While US-based tools such as OpenAI’s Sora can also generate AI video, Seedance’s rapid rollout — and the speed at which convincing celebrity deepfakes are spreading — has heightened concerns about enforcement and oversight.
As with many generative AI breakthroughs, the technology appears to be advancing faster than the legal frameworks designed to contain it.
Sources: Seedance 2.0, X.com
