Videos featuring AI-generated versions of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt engaged in a fierce fight have recently gone viral across social media platforms, stirring controversy around the use of artificial intelligence in entertainment. These clips, created using the latest version of the Seedance tool, have drawn widespread attention due to the realistic depiction of the celebrities in intense hand-to-hand combat scenarios.
The videos surfaced on February 10 and quickly gained traction after being shared by Irish filmmaker Ruairi Robinson on X (formerly Twitter). Seedance, developed by ByteDance, the company known for owning TikTok outside the U.S., is currently facing increasing scrutiny from Hollywood studios and performers’ unions such as SAG-AFTRA. The focus revolves around the unauthorized use of Pitt’s and Cruise’s likenesses in these AI-generated fight scenes.
Details on the Viral AI Videos and Public Reactions
Ruairi Robinson, who was nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the 2002 Oscars, captioned his post about the videos saying,
“This was a 2 line prompt in seedance 2. If the hollywood is cooked guys are right maybe the hollywood is cooked guys are cooked too idk.”
Beyond the initial fight clip depicting Pitt and Cruise battling each other, Robinson also shared several other AI-created variations. These included scenes where each actor fought a zombie ninja, teamed up to fight a robot, and conversed on the topic of Jeffrey Epstein.
Neither Brad Pitt nor Tom Cruise has publicly commented on the AI videos. However, due to the growing use of Seedance’s latest version to generate unauthorized content, major studios have taken legal steps. On February 13, Disney issued a cease and desist letter to ByteDance, accusing the company of infringing on its intellectual property rights. Additional Seedance-generated videos circulating online have featured other popular characters, such as lightsaber battles between Star Wars figures and fights involving Spider-Man and Captain America.
Industry Pushback and Legal Challenges Facing Seedance
The Motion Picture Association (MPA), which represents major Hollywood studios, formally demanded that Seedance “immediately cease its infringing activity,” citing violations of intellectual property, according to reports from The Hollywood Reporter. In response, ByteDance issued a statement emphasizing its respect for intellectual property rights and acknowledging the concerns raised about Seedance 2.0.
In that statement, ByteDance said,
“We are taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property and likeness by users.”
The company had already disabled the option for users to upload images of real people for AI content creation, a move noted by the BBC during its February 16 coverage.
Opposition from Performers’ Unions and Industry Groups
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) publicly sided with studios in condemning the misuse of AI technology. On February 13, SAG declared,
“We stand with the studios in condemning the blatant infringement enabled by Bytedance’s new AI video model Seedance 2.0.”
The guild also highlighted the violation of its members’ rights with the unauthorized use of their voices and likenesses.
Further emphasizing its position, SAG stated,
“The infringement includes the unauthorized use of our members’ voices and likenesses. This is unacceptable and undercuts the ability of human talent to earn a livelihood.”
The guild reprimanded Seedance 2.0 for ignoring legal and ethical boundaries, asserting,
“Seedance 2.0 disregards law, ethics, industry standards and basic principles of consent. Responsible AI development demands responsibility, and that is nonexistent here.”
Upcoming Projects for Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt Amid the Controversy
While the debate over AI-generated content continues to intensify, the real Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt remain focused on their upcoming film projects. Cruise is set to appear in the movie “Digger,” scheduled to hit theaters on October 2. Meanwhile, Brad Pitt will feature in a Netflix project directed by David Fincher and Quentin Tarantino, which is a spin-off connected to Pitt’s 2019 film
“Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.”
This project is expected to arrive later this year, marking notable entries for both actors despite the controversy surrounding the AI videos.
Implications for Intellectual Property and AI Use in Hollywood
The controversy around the Tom Cruise AI video and the broader Seedance tool has sparked significant concern about the future of intellectual property rights within the entertainment industry. The viral AI clips raise questions about consent and the potential for technology to bypass traditional protections afforded to performers and creators.
With the Motion Picture Association demanding a halt to Seedance’s activities and union voices denouncing the exploitation of actor likenesses, the debate underscores an urgent need for clearer regulations on AI-generated content. As ByteDance enhances safeguards, the film industry closely watches how these developments could shape the use of artificial intelligence in entertainment, intellectual property enforcement, and artists’ rights moving forward.
This was a 2 line prompt in seedance 2. If the hollywood is cooked guys are right maybe the hollywood is cooked guys are cooked too idk. pic.twitter.com/dNTyLUIwAV
— Ruairi Robinson (@RuairiRobinson) February 11, 2026
