AI Video of Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise Alarms Hollywood Actors

A ByteDance AI-generated video of Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise fighting has sparked Hollywood outrage. SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin calls it "blatant infringement."

A 15-second AI-generated video depicting Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise in a hyperrealistic fight scene has sent shockwaves through Hollywood, prompting swift condemnation from studios and unions. The clip, created using Chinese tech giant ByteDance's Seedance 2.0 AI video generator, shows the two stars exchanging blows on a crumbling rooftop with cinematic lighting and camera angles all generated from a simple two-line text prompt.

SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin joined CBS News to condemn the video as "blatant infringement" that "undercuts the ability of human talent to earn a livelihood." The actors' union issued an official statement declaring that Seedance 2.0 "disregards law, ethics, industry standards and basic principles of consent." Notably, Astin's own likeness from his "Lord of the Rings" role was also exploited in another Seedance-generated video.

"Deadpool" screenwriter Rhett Reese told The New York Times the video sent a "cold shiver" up his spine. "For all of us who worked in the industry and devoted our careers to it, it's terrifying. I could just see it costing jobs all over the place."

The Motion Picture Association slammed the video generator, while Disney sent ByteDance a cease-and-desist letter accusing the company of "willful, pervasive, and totally unacceptable" usage of its intellectual property. Paramount followed with its own legal action.

ByteDance responded that it is "taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property and likeness by users." The controversy arrives as SAG-AFTRA enters critical contract negotiations where AI protections remain a dominant topic.