A fast-spreading AI-generated video that shows Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise engaged in a rooftop fight has put new attention on Hollywood’s growing battle over artificial intelligence.
The clip has become a flashpoint in an ongoing dispute about how emerging tools may affect performers, and the names Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise are now being cited in industry discussions about digital misuse and worker protections.
The 15-second video was produced with Seedance 2.0, an AI video generator launched this week by ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. As it circulated across social platforms, the Motion Picture Assn. said the clip violated copyright rules because it used the actors’ likenesses without permission.
Association chief executive Charles Rivkin said the company behind the tool should stop activities that infringe on existing copyrights and argued that Seedance 2.0 rapidly distributed unauthorized use of U.S. creative works. Rivkin added that the absence of safeguards shows disregard for long-standing copyright protections that support millions of jobs.
Hollywood anxiety intensifies as Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise AI clip spreads
Irish filmmaker Ruairí Robinson posted the video on X, explaining that he generated it using only two lines of text. The post sparked concern among filmmakers and writers who worry about how quickly AI tools may match or exceed traditional production quality.
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
Screenwriter and producer Rhett Reese, known for projects including Deadpool and Zombieland, responded to the clip by saying the technology could soon allow anyone to create films nearly identical to major studio releases.
Reese said the realism of the video unsettled him and expressed concern that rapid advances in AI could dramatically reshape or diminish creative jobs.
Union leaders call out unauthorized use of actors’ likenesses
Those concerns echo debates that fueled the 2023 strikes by SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America. Some members argue that the protections negotiated at that time no longer match the speed of AI progress.
As SAG-AFTRA resumed contract discussions with studios this week, the union indicated that AI remains one of its top priorities. Negotiators are considering what has been referred to as the Tilly tax, a fee studios would pay if they use an AI performer. The proposal follows the arrival of Hollywood’s first AI actor, Tilly Norwood.
In a statement, SAG-AFTRA said it supports studios in criticizing Seedance 2.0, noting that the video shows unauthorized replicas of performers’ likenesses and voices.
The union said such practices undermine the ability of human talent to earn a living and reflect a disregard for industry standards, consent principles and ethical responsibility.
