Hollywood shaken by Brad Pitt-Tom Cruise fight video made with Chinese AI: ‘over for us’
South China Morning Post
by Tribune News ServiceFebruary 13, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
A viral AI-generated video featuring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise fighting atop a building has sparked widespread concern and debate. Created using Seedance 2.0, an advanced AI video-generation platform developed by ByteDance (the parent company behind TikTok), the 15-second clip highlights the potential risks of unauthorized use of copyrighted material. The Motion Picture Association (MPA) and other industry stakeholders have criticized the video for its unapproved use of celebrity likenesses and intellectual property, raising questions about the ethical and legal implications of AI-driven content creation.
The video, which quickly went viral on social media platforms, was created using Seedance 2.0, a cutting-edge tool designed to generate realistic visual content. ByteDance, a Chinese tech giant known for its global reach through TikTok and Douyin, launched the platform as part of its expanding AI capabilities in content creation. While the technology demonstrates impressive innovation, it has also raised concerns about how easily such tools can be misused to produce unauthorized or misleading content.
The MPA’s CEO, Charles Rivkin, emphasized the importance of protecting intellectual property rights in an era of rapidly advancing AI technologies. The organization has called for stricter regulations and greater awareness among creators to prevent similar incidents. This issue not only affects Hollywood but also underscores broader challenges faced by global entertainment industries
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Originally published on South China Morning Post on 2/13/2026