Major entertainment studios are taking strong action against ByteDance over its Seedance 2.0 AI platform. Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, and Paramount have all sent cease-and-desist letters to ByteDance, accusing the company of unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted intellectual property. Netflix specifically labeled Seedance a "high-speed piracy engine" for generating clips from popular shows like "Stranger Things" and "Bridgerton," while Warner Bros. cited infringement of characters from "Harry Potter" and Batman. ByteDance has pledged to implement more safeguards, but experts suggest reactive legal measures struggle to keep pace with rapid AI content generation.
Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve is closely examining AI's impact on the labor market. San Francisco Federal Reserve president Mary C. Daly noted that businesses are in an "interrogation phase," assessing AI's full implications before making significant hiring shifts. She anticipates AI will transform job roles by replacing tasks and creating new ones, rather than reducing overall employment, and highlights the need for workforce re-skilling. Fed Governor Michael Barr outlined scenarios ranging from gradual AI adoption allowing for skill adjustments to rapid adoption potentially causing significant unemployment, or even AI capabilities stalling due to resource shortages.
The evolving role of AI is also evident in specific industry predictions and new applications. Boris Cherny, an Anthropic engineer and creator of Claude Code, predicts the "software engineer" title may disappear, replaced by roles like "builder" or "product manager" as AI increasingly handles coding tasks. In India, a new AI-powered blockchain platform for interstate peer-to-peer energy trading has launched, promoting energy self-reliance. TreviPay also unveiled its AI-Powered Growth Center, designed to predict B2B buyer behavior and boost sales, with pilot tests showing high accuracy in identifying at-risk buyers. IFT President Peggy Poole emphasized AI's potential to transform food and beverage innovation, automating R&D and extending human capabilities, despite challenges like data gaps.
AI is also making its way into education and small business support. Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep has fully integrated AI into its curriculum and work-study program, using it as a tool for learning and writing. The Whitehall Chamber of Commerce is offering a free webinar to help small businesses leverage AI for marketing and problem-solving. On the regulatory front, White House senior policy adviser Sriram Krishnan urged the EU to prioritize AI innovation over excessive regulation, contrasting it with India's "pro-innovation" approach. Separately, Anthropic's AI assistant Claude experienced a brief outage affecting its chat function and website, which was resolved within hours.
Key Takeaways
- Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, and Paramount sent cease-and-desist letters to ByteDance on February 17-18, 2026, accusing its Seedance 2.0 AI of unauthorized use of copyrighted content, with Netflix calling it a "high-speed piracy engine."
- San Francisco Federal Reserve president Mary C. Daly stated on February 18, 2026, that AI will reshape job roles and require workforce re-skilling, but not necessarily reduce overall employment, while Fed Governor Michael Barr outlined scenarios for AI's labor market impact.
- Anthropic engineer Boris Cherny predicts the "software engineer" title will disappear as AI makes coding "practically solved," leading to new roles like "builder" or "product manager."
- Anthropic's AI assistant Claude experienced a brief outage on February 18, 2026, affecting its chat function and website, which was resolved by 12:10 am UTC.
- India launched the Interstate Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading Platform and PowerXchange App on February 18, 2026, using blockchain, AI, and machine learning for trading surplus solar energy.
- TreviPay unveiled its AI-Powered Growth Center, expected in Q2 2026, which uses machine learning to predict B2B buyer behavior, identify dormant buyers, and boost sales.
- IFT President Peggy Poole highlighted AI's potential to transform Food and Beverage innovation by automating R&D and extending human capabilities, despite challenges like data gaps.
- Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep has fully integrated AI into its curriculum and work-study program, using it as a tool for student learning, writing, and application in paid jobs.
- White House senior policy adviser on AI, Sriram Krishnan, urged the EU to embrace AI innovation over excessive regulation, contrasting it with India's "pro-innovation" approach, at the India AI Impact Summit on February 18, 2026.
- The Whitehall Chamber of Commerce is offering a free "AI for Small Business" webinar on February 24th to help small businesses use AI for customer attraction, marketing, and problem-solving.
Netflix Warns ByteDance Over Seedance 2.0 AI Clips
Netflix sent a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance on February 17, 2026, demanding the Chinese company remove its intellectual property from Seedance 2.0's training datasets. Mindy LeMoine, Netflix's director of litigation, called Seedance 2.0 a "high-speed piracy engine" that generates unauthorized clips. The AI tool creates content from shows like "Stranger Things," "Bridgerton" Season 4 costumes, and "KPop Demon Hunters." ByteDance has three days to respond, following similar actions by Disney, Paramount, and Warner Bros.
Major Studios Challenge ByteDance Over AI Content Theft
Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery sent cease and desist letters to ByteDance on February 18, 2026, joining Disney and Paramount in their concerns. They accuse ByteDance's Seedance AI platform of unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted intellectual property. Netflix called Seedance a "high-speed piracy engine," while Warner Bros. cited infringement of characters from "Harry Potter" and Batman. ByteDance pledged to implement more safeguards, but experts like Dan Purcell from Midnight Labs suggest that reactive legal letters are too slow for the rapid spread of AI-generated content.
Netflix Legal Letter Targets ByteDance Seedance AI
Netflix sent a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance on February 18, 2026, calling its Seedance AI video tool a "high-speed piracy engine." The letter details how Seedance creates unauthorized videos mimicking characters and scenes from Netflix shows like "Stranger Things," "Bridgerton," and "Squid Game." Netflix demands that ByteDance stop generating these videos and remove its intellectual property from Seedance's training datasets. While ByteDance stated it respects IP rights and is strengthening safeguards, Netflix's litigation director argues that using copyrighted works to create a competing commercial product is not protected by fair use.
San Francisco Fed Sees AI Reshaping Hiring
San Francisco Federal Reserve president Mary C. Daly discussed how AI is reshaping hiring on February 18, 2026. Businesses are currently in an "interrogation phase," waiting to understand AI's full impact before making hiring decisions. Daly believes AI will not reduce overall employment but will change job roles, replacing tasks and creating new ones. She noted that companies are re-skilling their workforces, which can cause anxiety but is a necessary adaptation. Daly also cautioned against directly linking the current AI boom to productivity growth.
Fed Governor Barr Predicts AI Labor Market Changes
Fed Governor Michael Barr outlined three potential scenarios for how AI could impact the labor market on February 18, 2026. The first scenario suggests a gradual AI adoption, allowing for skill adjustments and retraining to avoid widespread joblessness. A rapid adoption, however, could lead to significant unemployment if the labor market cannot adjust quickly. The third scenario involves AI capabilities stalling due to shortages like electricity or financing. A recent survey shows broad AI adoption by international companies but limited current economic effects, though future impacts on productivity and employment are anticipated.
Anthropic Engineer Predicts New Job Titles for Coders
Boris Cherny, the Anthropic engineer who created Claude Code, predicts that the "software engineer" title will eventually disappear. He suggests new roles like "builder" or "product manager" will replace it as AI makes coding "practically solved." Cherny noted this shift is already visible within Anthropic, changing not only what engineers do but also who codes. He also discussed the more unsettling "upper bound" of AI, ASL-4, where models are recursively self-improving, which poses risks like catastrophic misuse that Anthropic is actively working to prevent.
Anthropic Chatbot Claude Suffers Brief Outage
Anthropic's AI assistant Claude experienced issues on Tuesday evening, February 18, 2026, with thousands of users reporting problems. Outage reports on Downdetector.com spiked to nearly 3,000 complaints around 6:30 pm EST, affecting Claude's chat function and website. Social media users noted a retro-looking user interface and expressed concern about lost projects. Anthropic's status website acknowledged "CSS errors on Claude.ai" and implemented a fix. The incident was resolved by 12:10 am UTC on February 18, 2026, with other Claude services reporting high uptime.
India Unveils AI Blockchain Energy Trading Platform
India launched the Interstate Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading Platform and PowerXchange App at the Global AI Summit on February 18, 2026. Union Power Minister Manohar Lal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were shown the app, which allows consumers and prosumers to seamlessly trade surplus solar energy. This initiative, powered by blockchain, AI, and machine learning, aims to promote energy self-reliance and enhance transparency in India's energy market. Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited facilitated its development, and the platform officially commenced operations today.
Free AI Webinar Helps Small Businesses Grow
The Whitehall Chamber of Commerce is offering a free 90-minute online webinar called "AI for Small Business" on Tuesday, February 24th, at 11 AM MST. This training helps small business owners and staff use AI to attract customers, market effectively, and solve everyday problems. Participants will learn how AI supports the entire customer journey and how to create professional images and videos without a designer. The session is designed for beginners and focuses on saving time and working smarter. Chamber members can register by emailing whitehallmtchamber@gmail.com and can also try a simple AI handout beforehand.
AI Can Transform Food Innovation Says IFT President
IFT President Peggy Poole states that AI can transform Food and Beverage innovation, but adoption barriers hinder its success. AI helps manufacturers improve new product development by automating tasks and speeding up research and development. Consumer interest in AI-driven innovation is growing, especially among Millennials. However, the industry faces challenges like data gaps and the need for better team integration to fully use AI. Poole emphasizes that AI extends human capabilities rather than replacing food scientists, but companies need more training on AI mechanisms and data security.
TreviPay Unveils AI Growth Center for B2B Sales
TreviPay announced its new AI-Powered Growth Center, designed to help businesses predict buyer behavior and boost B2B sales. This platform uses machine learning to engage existing buyers, identify those at risk of becoming dormant, and inform targeted incentives. Dan Zimmerman, TreviPay's Chief Product and Technology Officer, highlights its ability to deliver unique value without adding work for teams. Pilot tests showed high accuracy in predicting dormant buyers, leading to significant increases in new spending after targeted outreach. The Growth Center, expected in Q2 2026, also features rebate management and performance dashboards.
Cristo Rey College Prep Adopts AI for Student Learning
Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep in Waukegan has fully integrated AI into its curriculum and work-study program. Jon Taus, the director of AI integration, discovered AI's potential in 2022-2023 to help students learn and write better. Students use AI for tasks like virtual conversations with historical figures and improving their writing skills. The school emphasizes using AI as a tool and coach, ensuring academic integrity. Students like junior Anthony Rivas also apply AI in their paid work-study jobs, such as at AbbVie.
White House Official Urges EU to Embrace AI Innovation
Sriram Krishnan, the White House's senior policy adviser on AI, urged the European Union to focus more on AI innovation rather than excessive regulation. Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit on February 18, 2026, he criticized the EU's "doomerism" and its Artificial Intelligence Act, stating it hinders entrepreneurs. Krishnan cited Peter Steinberger, creator of OpenClaw, moving to the US as an example of the Act's negative impact. In contrast, Krishnan praised India's "pro-innovation" approach to AI regulation.
Sources
- Netflix Threatens ByteDance With ‘Immediate Litigation’ Over Seedance 2.0 AI Clips
- Netflix and Warner Bros join Disney and Paramount in calling out ByteDance's latest AI platform
- Read Netflix's legal letter to ByteDance about viral AI tool Seedance
- How the San Francisco Fed is seeing AI reshape hiring
- Fed governor Barr: 3 ways AI could shake up the labor market
- ‘Software Engineer’ Title Will Go Away, It Could Be Replaced By ‘Builder’ Or ‘Product Manager’: Claude Code Creator Boris Cherny
- Is Claude AI down? Anthropic's chatbot and website facing issues, report thousands of users
- Digital energy leap: P2P energy trading platform launched at AI Summit - India Tribune
- AI Training for Small Business Class February 24th
- IFT President: AI can transform F&B innovation, but adoption barriers block success
- TreviPay Announces AI-Powered Growth Center to Help Enterprises Predict Buyer Behavior and Drive B2B Sales
- Cristo Rey College Prep incorporates AI into curriculum: ‘This is going to change everything’
- EU needs to abandon AI ‘doomerism,’ White House official says
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