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Romain Gavras has criticized AI-generated imitations of the “Storm” music video he directed for GENER8ION and Yung Lean, telling Vulture that the trend saddened him and could make the original work look “lame.” He says he declined licensing approaches from AI companies and sees little practical scope for legal action against individual creators. The tools and extent of the imitations, and whether any further response is planned, remain unclear.
Film director Romain Gavras has criticized AI-generated imitations of the “Storm” video he made with GENER8ION and Yung Lean, telling Vulture that the copies saddened him because they followed work that took substantial effort to produce. He also said he had declined approaches from AI companies seeking to license the video.
Gavras told Vulture that his daughter first showed him an imitation featuring dogs, which he initially found cute. The trend later took a more provocative direction, with versions featuring figures including Elon Musk, Kim Jong-un, Adolf Hitler and Jeffrey Epstein, according to the interview. Gavras said the imitations affected how he viewed the original and the labor behind it.
“It made me sad for all the people who put in so much work on our video,” Gavras told Vulture. He added that a trend of copies could make “even good work look lame.” The filmmaker also said that some AI companies had approached him about licensing “Storm,” but he declined those requests.
Vulture reported that many of the imitations were made with Genjutsu, a tool released in late August by AI video company Higgsfield. Gavras said he saw little possibility of pursuing legal action, because that would mean suing each person who took part in the trend. The report does not detail any legal proceedings.
AI Copies Put Creative Labor in Focus
Gavras’s response highlights a dispute that goes beyond whether a synthetic video resembles its source: the effort and creative choices behind the original can be obscured when a format is quickly replicated. His comments are a creator’s account of the trend’s impact, rather than a legal finding about whether any particular imitation infringed rights.
The reported licensing approaches also show that AI companies may seek permission to use recognizable creative work, while other imitations circulate without the director’s approval. Gavras says he declined the approaches he received. The interview does not establish how widely the video has been copied, how the relevant tools handle rights, or whether the imitations have led to a formal dispute.
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The Original ‘Storm’ Video
“Storm” is a collaboration between GENER8ION and Yung Lean. The original video, directed by Gavras, centers on the Swedish rapper and singer standing and smoking a cigarette among 66 dancing boys, with synchronized choreography forming its central visual. The source report describes the video as viral.
The discussion of the imitations followed Yung Lean’s U.S. television debut at the VMAs, where he and the performers recreated the video. According to the source, that appearance took place the previous month; the supplied report does not specify the event’s exact date. Vulture’s account describes copies that adapt the recognizable setup with AI-generated subjects and scenarios.
““It made me sad for all the people who put in so much work on our video.””
— Romain Gavras, speaking to Vulture
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The Copies’ Reach and Rights
The source report does not quantify the number of imitations, identify every tool used to make them, or say how many remain online. It also does not report a legal claim, a licensing agreement, or a response from Higgsfield or the other AI companies mentioned. Gavras’s view that legal action would require suing individual users is his assessment; the available material does not establish the legal position for each copy.
It is also unclear whether the trend is continuing, whether the original creators plan any coordinated response, or whether companies will make further licensing requests. Gavras acknowledged uncertainty about the pace of AI development, saying that what the technology can do may change within a year.
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No Legal Action Reported
Gavras has not announced a lawsuit or another formal response in the reported interview. He said he declined the licensing approaches and questioned the practicality of pursuing individual creators. No next legal or licensing step is identified in the source material.
For now, the development is his public criticism of the copies and his explanation of why he believes they fall short of the original. Further updates would depend on any statement from the director, the original video’s other creators, or the AI companies involved; none is included in the report.
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Key Questions
What did Romain Gavras say about the AI copies?
He told Vulture that the imitations made him sad because of the work put into the original, and said the trend could make good work look “lame.”
What is the “Storm” video?
It is a video by GENER8ION and Yung Lean, directed by Gavras, featuring Yung Lean among 66 dancing boys. Yung Lean and performers recreated it at the VMAs, according to the source report.
Which AI tool was used for the imitations?
Vulture reported that many were made using Genjutsu, released in late August by AI video company Higgsfield. The report does not say that every imitation used that tool.
Is Gavras suing the people who made the copies?
No lawsuit is reported. Gavras said legal action would be difficult because it could mean suing each user who participated in the trend.
Did Gavras allow AI companies to license the video?
He told Vulture that some AI companies approached him about licensing “Storm,” and that he declined those approaches.
Source: rss
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