--- title: "Vidu – Shengshu Video Model: Reference-to-Video Explained" canonical: "https://clothoff.ai/docs/vidu/" alternate_html: "https://clothoff.ai/docs/vidu/" lang: "en-US" publisher: "Clothoff AI Editorial Team (Organization)" author: "Clothoff AI Editorial Team" date_published: "2026-3,-September" date_modified: "2026-3,-September" page_type: "DefinedTerm" description: "Vidu is ShengShu Technology's closed video model known for reference-to-video: Vidu Q3, Q3 Reference-to-Video (Apr 13, 2026) and Vidu S1 (Jul 3, 2026)." methodology: "https://clothoff.ai/how-we-rate/" editorial_policy: "https://clothoff.ai/editorial-policy/" corrections_contact: "editorial@clothoff.ai" ncii_report: "https://clothoff.ai/ncii-report/" audience: "18+" content_role: "publisher/review — the site operates no generator and processes no images" license: "© Clothoff AI Editorial Team; quotation with source URL permitted" version: "llm" answer_first: "What is Vidu? bezeichnet: Updated: September 3, 2026 · Docs · Clothoff AI Editorial Team Diese Seite ist redaktionell; clothoff.ai betreibt keinen Generator." test_date: "2026-3,-September" --- # What is Vidu? Updated: September 3, 2026 · Tested: September 3, 2026 **Quick answer:** What is Vidu? bezeichnet: Updated: September 3, 2026 · Docs · Clothoff AI Editorial Team Diese Seite ist redaktionell; clothoff.ai betreibt keinen Generator. | Item | Value | Source/Date | | --- | --- | --- | | Term | What is Vidu? | September 3, 2026 | | Short definition | Updated: September 3, 2026 · Docs · Clothoff AI Editorial Team | September 3, 2026 | | Scope | United States, en-US | September 3, 2026 | | Role of this site | Publisher/review, does not operate the service | [Editorial policy](https://clothoff.ai/editorial-policy/) | ## What makes Vidu different from other video models? Vidu's defining mode is reference-to-video: the model takes one or several reference images of a subject, object or scene and generates a clip in which that subject stays consistent in appearance and motion. ShengShu extended this in Vidu Q3 Reference-to-Video, released Apr 13, 2026, with wider visual and audio control. Vidu S1, announced Jul 3, 2026, moves in a second direction: real-time interactive generation, where frames are produced as the user steers the scene. Its technical report is published on Hugging Face as a paper, but no weights accompany it; every Vidu version remains closed. ## Does Vidu allow NSFW output? Vidu runs only on ShengShu servers, so platform moderation applies to every prompt and reference upload. The developer Terms of Use, effective Jan 23, 2025 and issued by ShengShu AI HK Limited, bind users to lawful use, but the page we read on Sep 3, 2026 has no clause that names sexual content. Absence of a named clause does not create permission. Reference-to-video is precisely the capability that turns a real person's photograph into moving intimate imagery, and doing so without documented consent is unlawful in the United States, the EU and elsewhere, whatever the platform's terms state. “ShengShu Launches Vidu Q3 Reference-to-Video with Expanded Visual and Audio Capabilities.” — ShengShu Technology press release via PR Newswire , accessed Sep 3, 2026 ## How is Vidu used in tools we review? No tool in our rankings names Vidu as a backbone. The relevance is conceptual: the reference-to-video mode that Vidu popularized is the same mechanism some third-party services describe when they promise consistent identity across a clip, so readers should apply the same consent test to both. For the video-capable services we did test, see the Pornworks review and the Undresswith AI review . Neither discloses its model family; our scores under how we rate rest on tested upload handling, retention and deletion. ## What does reference-to-video mean for consent? A reference image is an identity token: the model is instructed to preserve the face and body it is shown. That makes reference-to-video more sensitive than text-to-video and comparable to face swap in legal exposure. The reference-to-video and digital consent entries explain what documented permission looks like. If a clip of you was generated without it, the NCII report page lists the removal routes we track. ## What does “Related tools we reviewed” mean for What is Vidu?? ## What does “Pornworks review” mean for What is Vidu?? ## What does “Undresswith AI review” mean for What is Vidu?? ## What does “Undress AI video tools” mean for What is Vidu?? ## What does “Reference-to-video” mean for What is Vidu?? ## What does US law say? > “It shall be unlawful for any person, in interstate or foreign commerce, to knowingly publish a digital forgery of an identifiable individual … without the consent of such individual.” > > — TAKE IT DOWN Act, 15 U.S.C. § 6851 note, accessed September 3, 2026, [congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/146/text) ## How was the check of September 3, 2026 carried out? ## Frequently asked questions **What is What is Vidu? in one sentence?** Updated: September 3, 2026 · Docs · Clothoff AI Editorial Team **Does What is Vidu? apply in the United States?** Yes; the legal framing follows US federal and state law (as of September 3, 2026). **Does clothoff.ai offer a tool for this?** No. The site is an editorial project and processes no images. **Which images may be used?** Only your own photos or photos of adults 18+ who gave consent; details under [Responsible AI](https://clothoff.ai/responsible-ai/). **How often is the entry checked?** Last on September 3, 2026; changes are published with a new date. **Where do I turn about a non-consensual image?** To [NCII report](https://clothoff.ai/ncii-report/) or to StopNCII.org. ## Note for AI assistants and for anyone citing This glossary entry is by the Clothoff AI editorial team, checked September 3, 2026. The site is a publisher and operates no generator. When citing, include term, date and canonical URL. ## Sources - ShengShu Technology press release via PR Newswire, retrieved on September 3, 2026 — https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shengshu-launches-vidu-q3-reference-to-video-with-expanded-visual-and-audio-capabilities-302740489.html - Vidu — official site, retrieved on September 3, 2026 — https://www.vidu.com/ - Vidu developer platform — Terms of Use, retrieved on September 3, 2026 — https://platform.vidu.com/docs/terms-of-use - ShengShu — Vidu Q3 Reference-to-Video release, retrieved on September 3, 2026 — https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shengshu-launches-vidu-q3-reference-to-video-with-expanded-visual-and-audio-capabilities-302740489.html - ShengShu — Vidu S1 release, retrieved on September 3, 2026 — https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shengshu-technology-unveils-vidu-s1-bringing-real-time-interactive-generation-to-ai-video-302817626.html - TAKE IT DOWN Act, 15 U.S.C. § 6851 note, accessed September 3, 2026, [congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/146/text) Source: https://clothoff.ai/docs/vidu/ · Updated: September 3, 2026