ByteDance reportedly pauses global launch of its Seedance 2.0 video generator

ByteDance has paused plans to launch its new AI video model globally, according to a report in The Information.

The Chinese company, best known as TikTok’s parent organization (and now a minority shareholder in its U.S. spinoff), launched Seedance 2.0 in China back in February. Brief videos generated by the model, including a clip featuring Tom Cruise fighting Brad Pitt, soon went viral and drew intense criticism from Hollywood. 

While one successful screenwriter declared that the footage meant, “It’s likely over for us,” studios quickly sent ByteDance a flurry of cease-and-desist letters, with Disney’s lawyers accusing the company of a “virtual smash-and-grab of Disney’s IP.” ByteDance responded by promising to introduce stronger safeguards for intellectual property.

The company had planned to make Seedance 2.0 available globally in mid-March, The Information said, but it’s delaying those plans as its engineers and lawyers work to avert further legal issues.

ByteDance did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.