ByteDance has unveiled CRE[AI]TE 2026, CapCut’s first AI festival, a global call inviting creators, studios, and students to submit audiovisual works: short films, series, creative content, and advertisements made with artificial intelligence. With registrations open until August, it includes cash prizes and recognition for works that best combine human vision, narrative, and significant use of AI.

Among the prizes: $70,000 for the best work across all categories, four category prizes of $20,000 each, four category mentions of $10,000 each, a special prize for student talent of $10,000, and 20 additional featured selections without financial endowment but with visibility within the CapCut ecosystem.

Initiatives like this reflect a movement that we at InnoIT follow closely: generative AI is no longer limited to accelerating technical processes; it is also consolidating as a creative tool with its own voice, capable of coexisting with human artistic direction instead of replacing it. This is an important nuance that we share: technology amplifies people’s judgment and vision, it does not replace them.

Creativity (with or without AI) must be accompanied by responsible and transparent use of tools, respecting copyright, usage licenses, and intellectual property, and ensuring that content is generated and shared ethically and in accordance with applicable regulations.

What is CapCut? CapCut is ByteDance’s video editing application, the same company behind TikTok. Born as a mobile editing tool aimed at content creators, in recent years it has incorporated artificial intelligence functions (AI-assisted video generation and editing) through its “Video Studio,” expanding its offering beyond traditional editing towards AI-assisted audiovisual creation.