ICT Samachar
Chinese tech company ByteDance has developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) model called Seedance 2.0, which has created a stir in Hollywood.
The technology, from the parent company of TikTok, can generate cinema-quality videos complete with sound effects and dialogue from just a few written prompts.
Videos featuring popular characters like Spider-Man and Deadpool, reportedly created using Seedance, went viral, prompting major studios to object. The Walt Disney Company and Paramount Pictures sent ByteDance cease-and-desist notices alleging copyright infringement. Japan has also begun investigating potential copyright violations after AI-generated videos of popular anime characters went viral.
What Is Seedance 2.0?
While the first version of Seedance was released in June 2025, the second version gained massive attention just eight months later. According to Jan-Willem Blom of the creative studio VideoState, the AI no longer feels like a simple tool—it produces outputs that resemble actual film production.
Other AI tools, like MidJourney and Sora, can also generate videos from text. However, Seedance 2.0 combines text, visuals, and audio in a single system, reportedly producing higher-quality results than other tools.
Its capabilities have been tested in unusual ways—such as creating a scene of actor Will Smith eating spaghetti. Seedance 2.0 not only produced a realistic scene but even created a high-budget-style sequence of Smith fighting the “Spaghetti Monster.”
Copyright and Ethical Debate
Rapid AI development has fueled copyright disputes. In 2023, The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft for using its content without permission. Similarly, Reddit filed claims against AI company Perplexity for illegally scraping user posts.
Experts emphasize that beyond creating visually realistic content, it is crucial to clearly label content, manage licenses, and establish mechanisms to prevent misuse.
Opportunities for Small Studios
According to David Kwok, director at Singapore-based animation studio Tiny Island Productions, AI of this quality can allow small companies to create ambitious films on modest budgets.
In Asia, the micro-drama market—producing up to 80 two-minute episodes for about $140,000—is growing. AI could enable these productions to expand into sci-fi, action, or period drama genres.
Is China Leading the AI Race?
Seedance 2.0 has once again brought Chinese technology into the spotlight. Last year, the Chinese AI model DeepSic made waves globally by delivering a powerful language model at low cost.
Beijing is investing heavily in AI, robotics, and advanced chip production as part of its economic strategy. Analysts predict that 2026 could be a pivotal year for AI adoption in China, where AI agents, coding tools, and video production systems may become part of daily work alongside chatbots.
Seedance 2.0 demonstrates both new opportunities and serious challenges for the creative industry. Until legal and ethical standards are clearly defined, the rapid development of AI is likely to continue sparking debate and controversy in the global entertainment industry.
