“You are Yuan Zhenglong? Then who am I?”

Chinese actor Yuan Zhenglong suffered last year because of a live shopping broadcast on an online platform that impersonated him. A ‘Yuan Zhenglong’ created by training AI on footage from past programs he appeared in and on secretly filmed videos was selling cosmetics across multiple channels. In an interview with China Central Television (CCTV), Yuan lamented that he was blocked from the chat as soon as he flagged the live host as a fake ‘Yuan Zhenglong,’ saying, “It is hard to prove that I am myself.”

The problem of AI videos produced by training on the images or voices of actors without permission is becoming more serious in China by the day. An organization representing Chinese actors has stepped forward to condemn rights infringements against actors via AI videos and to demand fair profit-sharing for lawfully produced videos.

According to the Global Times on the 5th, the Actors Committee of the China Radio and Television Social Organizations Federation (the Committee), an organization of actors and voice actors, issued a statement on the 2nd saying that creations that make unauthorized use of the voices and images of performers “infringe performers’ portrait rights, voice rights, and so on.” It also stated that even if AI-generated content is produced for noncommercial or public-interest purposes, or is labeled as ‘fan art’ on the video, it still constitutes a rights infringement.

The Committee declared, “Individuals or organizations must not collect, use, synthesize, or distribute such materials without formal authorization from the person involved,” and added, “We will support actors who take legal action against platforms that neglected oversight.” It further said, “We support the lawful use of AI to promote innovation in film, broadcasting, and the arts, and we urge the establishment of transparent mechanisms for permission to use the voices and images of actors and for revenue sharing.”

In August 2024, a Chinese court ruled, in a lawsuit filed by a voice actor whose voice had been misappropriated against an AI development company, that a voice also falls under copyright and is subject to legal protection. Since September last year, it has enforced legislation requiring that AI-generated or -composited content be explicitly labeled as such. However, as the case of Yuan Zhenglong shows, it is difficult to rectify the problem of fake live broadcasts that use AI, and the damage is mounting.

The rapid replacement of actors by AI also appears to be a backdrop to this statement from the organization representing actors. In China, ultra-short dramas under one minute are emerging as the center of the video industry, and the replacement of short-drama actors by AI is accelerating. With no overseas competitors and China in the lead, authorities are also promoting it as a new industry, but reports say actor unemployment has progressed faster than expected.

An industry source said, “Feature films are still casting, but short dramas have been completely replaced by AI and shooting has come to a complete halt.” According to Xinhua and others, the short-drama market surpassed 50.5 billion yuan (10 trillion won) in 2024, and its market share exceeded 50% last year.