This edition of NEXT ACADEMY focuses on the rapidly evolving world of generative AI video tools. As Masa researches the tools firsthand, we explore which companies' tools are suitable for professional work and what creators should value in an era when anyone can make videos. From practical criteria for choosing tools to the future of visual expression, let us hear what he has to say.
Which Country Does Seedance Come From?
HAL: One generative AI video tool is Seedance. Information about its operator can be confusing. Masa, which company do you understand to be behind it?
Masa: Seedance is a generative video tool offered by China's ByteDance. It is hard to tell where it comes from just by the name, but its operator is a Chinese company. China is well ahead in generative AI, and I think Seedance is one example. But because it is not a tool from a Japanese company, I find it a little harder to use in my work. There are professional situations where whether a tool is domestic becomes a factor in the decision.
A Capable Tool Is Not Always an Easy Tool to Use at Work
HAL: You also said it is difficult to use because it is not from a Japanese company. Is this a situation where a capable tool is not necessarily easy to use professionally?
Masa: Exactly. When it comes to generative video, including overall quality, my impression is that tools from China and Chinese-affiliated companies really are ahead. They also evolve quickly. On the other hand, in actual client work, the country where the company is based can sometimes become an issue. Honestly, I do think there is a gap between a good tool and one that is easy to use at work.
How to Think About an Era When Anyone Can Create
HAL: Video production itself is becoming accessible without specialized equipment or skills. How do you view this shift toward anyone being able to create?
Masa: The act of creating is certainly getting easier and easier. But I think achieving quality beyond that is still very much professional work. Even so, there is no doubt that anyone will increasingly be able to create. That is precisely why I think we should consider video or film as one framework or option within making work and expressing ourselves, rather than treating video or film as something that stands alone. Working exclusively in video or exclusively in film, as people have until now, may become more difficult.
What He Wants to Work On Next
HAL: Is there anything you want to work on next to develop that expressive ability?
Masa: I think it is simply to keep on making things.
The lower the barrier to creating becomes, the more clearly the value of the expressive ability and expertise beyond it stands out. That was the insight running through this conversation. How can the ability to use AI tools be combined with marketable expertise and craft? A theme that matters to NEXT ACADEMY emerges here through the lens of video. Join us again next time.
