The AI tool can quickly make highly realistic clips from a short, simple text prompt, such as a fist fight between Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, Will Smith battling a red-eyed spaghetti monster or even Friends characters reimagined as otters.
The MPA’s chairman and CEO, Charles Rivkin, said: “By launching a service that operates without meaningful safeguards against infringement, ByteDance is disregarding well-established copyright law that protects the rights of creators and underpins millions of American jobs.
“ByteDance should immediately cease its infringing activity.”
According to ByteDance, steps are being taken to further address risks, and it will implement robust policies, monitoring mechanisms and processes to ensure compliance with local regulations.
The clips have been flooding social media, and users have also been posting scenes based on shows and films like The Lord of the Rings, Seinfeld, Avengers and Breaking Bad.
ByteDance has billed its new AI tool as delivering “an ultra-realistic immersive experience”.
It immediately set alarm bells ringing in Hollywood and beyond, with Deadpool writer Rhett Reese warning, external: “I hate to say it. It’s likely over for us.”
