Senators Demand Shutdown of TikTok’s AI App

Senators Marsha Blackburn and Peter Welch have urged the parent company of TikTok, ByteDance, to “immediately shut down” its artificial intelligence app, citing significant copyright concerns. This plea comes just weeks after TikTok established a joint venture to continue operations in the U.S.

In a letter directed to ByteDance CEO Liang Lubo, Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Welch (D-Vt.) noted that the SeaDance app generated several troubling videos within just a day of its latest release on February 12, including an invented altercation between Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.

Other striking examples included an AI-generated alternate ending to Netflix’s popular series “Stranger Things,” and a fictional showdown between Marvel’s Thanos and Superman from DC Comics on Mars. These examples have raised eyebrows, to say the least.

“This technology exemplifies copyright infringement by a ByteDance product, and we need to promptly shut down SeaDance and implement strong safeguards against further violations,” the senators expressed in their letter.

The issue of copyright infringement by major tech firms has gained traction in Congress, with critics asserting that creative content is being copied without due credit or compensation.

The two senators labeled SeaDance’s alleged infringements as part of a broader trend where AI companies exploit protected works, undermining creative communities.

This statement follows TikTok signing a deal facilitated by the White House in January, designed to establish a new American entity to manage the app amid worries about its algorithms and the Chinese Communist Party’s potential access to user data.

Originally developed for China, SeaDance was set to expand globally but has faced legal challenges in the U.S.

“If ByteDance wants to maintain a viable economic relationship with a democratic and free market, it must stop SeaDance 2.0, cease its extensive violations, and eliminate unauthorized intellectual property from its database,” the lawmakers stated.

A ByteDance spokesperson acknowledged the concerns regarding SeaDance 2.0 and emphasized the company’s commitment to respecting intellectual property rights.

“We are taking measures to strengthen our safeguards to prevent unauthorized use of our intellectual property and likeness by users,” the representative remarked.

In the wake of pressures from industry giants like Disney and Paramount, ByteDance has postponed its global expansion plans for SeaDance.

Disney has accused ByteDance of “essentially usurping” its intellectual property, including various beloved characters from the Marvel and Star Wars franchises.