Google Removes AI-Generated Disney Videos Following Copyright Alert
Google has begun taking down several AI-created videos that feature characters owned by Disney from YouTube. This action comes after Disney issued a cease-and-desist letter earlier this week, calling for the removal of these videos.
The videos being removed were mainly produced using Google’s AI video tool, Veo, and included beloved characters like Mickey Mouse, Deadpool, and figures from popular franchises such as “Star Wars” and “The Simpsons.” According to reports, links to these videos now display a message stating, “This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Disney.”
Disney is making moves to safeguard its characters from unauthorized AI use. The studio has not only requested the removal of specific YouTube links but has also provided a detailed list of characters it wants to be taken down, including those from movies like “Frozen,” “Moana,” “Toy Story,” and “Winnie the Pooh.”
In response to the situation, Google expressed its commitment to collaboration. A spokesperson mentioned to Variety, “We have a longstanding and mutually beneficial relationship with Disney, and we will continue to engage with them. We also utilize public data from the open web for our AI, and we have developed innovative copyright controls like Google-extended and Content ID for YouTube, allowing copyright holders to manage their content.”
Disney’s letter to Google emphasized the need for stronger protections, requesting that Google prevent its AI tools from producing Disney characters and from using these characters to train AI models. The letter argued that Google’s actions are expanding copyright infringement by making its AI services widely available, creating a flood of unauthorized works, and profiting from Disney’s intellectual property.
The letter described Google’s capabilities as akin to a “virtual vending machine” that reproduces and distributes Disney’s copyrighted characters on a large scale. It also mentioned that many of the generated images were marked with Google’s Gemini logo, possibly misleading users into thinking they were authorized by Disney.
This development comes on the heels of Disney signing a significant partnership worth $1 billion with OpenAI, allowing the ChatGPT developer to train its AI models using Disney characters. In discussing this deal, Disney CEO Bob Iger noted that it enables Disney to adapt to fast-changing technology, allowing them to shape the evolving landscape of AI and entertainment.
Iger stated, “It gives us an opportunity, really, to play a part in what is really breathtaking growth in AI and new forms of media and entertainment.” Additionally, Disney aims to incorporate user-generated content into its Disney+ streaming platform as part of this initiative.
