ByteDance

ByteDance is the Chinese technology company best known as the owner of TikTok. It also operates a large artificial-intelligence effort, including generative tools for images and video.

Its Seedance video model has become a flashpoint in the entertainment industry: some Hollywood studios have sought to block it while quietly tolerating its use in practice. That tension captures a wider dilemma around AI-generated video — the technology is good enough to be genuinely useful, and controversial enough that companies are wary of admitting they rely on it.

ByteDance’s scale and consumer reach make it a significant player in how AI-generated media spreads to everyday audiences.