Half a year after an AI-generated viral video showcasing a fictional showdown between Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt captivated audiences online, steps have been taken to enhance protections for Hollywood's intellectual property and personal likenesses.
On Monday, the Motion Picture Association (MPA) announced a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ByteDance, the Chinese technology leader, aimed at establishing robust safeguards within its platforms, including the AI technology responsible for the viral video.
This agreement specifically targets Seedance, the AI video model behind the Cruise-Pitt clip, along with other products like Seedream 5.0 Lite, TikTok, CapCut, and Dreamina.
The rollout of Seedance and this subsequent arrangement closely echoes a situation involving Sora, a video model from OpenAI that debuted last year. Sora faced similar issues with unauthorized content featuring famous personalities, which ultimately resulted in OpenAI discontinuing the model earlier this year.
In contrast, ByteDance remains committed to further developing Seedance, positioning it as one of the leading video models in the industry, alongside those from Google and others.
Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the MPA, stated, "This agreement showcases our belief that copyright is fundamental to the film and television industry and reinforces our dedication to safeguarding creative works. We’ve had constructive discussions with ByteDance to put in place meaningful protective measures for Seedance and Seedream, and this MOU signifies our shared resolve to continue collaborating on enhancing these measures."
John Rogovin, the general counsel for ByteDance, commented, "ByteDance acknowledges the intellectual property rights that are essential to creative fields globally. We believe that responsible advancements in AI must coincide with substantial protections for rights holders. We value our productive collaboration with the MPA and its constituents as we strengthen protections across our generative AI offerings. This MOU sets a significant foundation for ongoing cooperation as our technology progresses across various products and platforms."
