A new AI video model from China is drawing both attention and criticism. Sand AI, a rising startup, has launched Magi-1, a powerful video-generation tool that combines massive technical capability with strict content moderation—particularly around politically sensitive topics.
Praised by AI pioneers like Kai-Fu Lee, Magi-1 can generate lifelike AI video content by predicting sequences of video frames using a massive 24-billion parameter model. The result? Footage that’s smooth, physics-aware, and surprisingly controllable—especially for an openly licensed tool. But while the tech shines, access to it comes with strings attached.
Magi-1 requires serious hardware—between four and eight Nvidia H100 GPUs—to run properly, which means most people rely on Sand AI’s hosted platform to test it. There, users can upload a prompt image to kickstart video generation. But not every image is welcome.
Tests reveal that the AI video tool refuses images linked to Chinese political taboos. Uploads of Xi Jinping, Tank Man, Tiananmen Square, or Taiwan’s flag result in errors. Even renaming files doesn’t get around the filters. These restrictions appear to be hardcoded at the image detection level, making them difficult to bypass.
Sand AI isn’t the only player applying such limits. Competitor Hailuo AI, part of Shanghai’s MiniMax, also blocks images of Chinese leadership. Still, Magi-1’s moderation appears especially aggressive—Tiananmen Square, for example, is allowed on Hailuo’s platform but not on Sand AI’s.
This filtering reflects broader realities in China’s AI video sector. Under a 2023 law, AI models are barred from generating anything that might “harm national unity or social harmony.” As a result, startups are implementing prompt-level moderation or fine-tuning their models to comply.
Interestingly, while political images are tightly controlled, Sand AI’s platform seems more relaxed about adult content. A recent investigation by 404 Media found several Chinese AI video tools lacking safeguards against misuse, including deepfake-style nude image generation—raising further ethical concerns.
So while Sand AI’s Magi-1 might rival top commercial products with its open-source edge, it also highlights the invisible lines developers can’t cross. In the world of Chinese AI video, innovation and regulation remain tightly intertwined.
