Chinese streaming platform iQIYI recently unveiled its future plans and with the tagline “AI. Unleash Creativity,” it comes as no surprise that CEO Gong Yu has gone in depth about how the company plans to implement AI in film and television. The platform announced an “AI Talent Database” initiative, stating that 117 artists, which include Chen Zheyuan, Cheng Lei, Zeng Shunxi, and Jiang Long, are onboard as the platform intends to use their likeness and voice data to generate virtual characters.
UPDATE: Amidst confusion about what the initiative meant, iQIYI clarified that the current list of actors only indicate willingness to participate in AI-related initiatives and to engage in discussions. As with traditional filming, any specific collaboration still requires further negotiation similar to participating in any project or role.
“AI Actors” Plan Draws Criticism
In his speech, Gong Yu said actors could go from filming four dramas a year to fourteen while still having more rest time, and further predicted that “filming may one day become intangible cultural heritage.” Needless to say, his remarks sparked major controversy over whether AI could replace human actors. “iQIYI Went Crazy” quickly trended on China’s hot search list.
Gong Yu was also mocked for his comments about actors’ working conditions: “Actors work very hard, everyone knows that. Staying in Hengdian for 4–5 months, working 10–14 hours a day with no personal life… their work could become like an ordinary white-collar job. Even if it’s busy, they could at least have some personal life.” His words were widely criticized as glossing over layoffs and reframing the issue as “rest.” Some netizens even challenged: “Why not let AI replace you as CEO?”
Meanwhile, some of the names rumored to also be in the talent database have already responded. Actor Zhang Ruoyun‘s studio was the first to state: “We have never signed any AI-related authorization. Our legal team is handling this urgently.” Li Yitong, Wang Churan, and Yu Hewei’s side also issued statements denying any such agreements or authorization of their AI rights.
Arduinna
Already now some production companies have very little respect for their actors, with script swapping, pushing side characters to overshadow the leads or giving the support actors ugly styling to make them stand out less being frequent occurrences.
Right now, the use of AI is pushed under the pretext of making the actors’ life easier by doing all the difficult action scenes, but given the abusive attitude of these production teams, it won’t be long before the AI muppet does scenes which the actor never agreed to or even knew about.
In a relationship as unequal as that between the platform and an actor, the notion of “consent” is meaningless. The actors who allegedly signed these agreements know very well that without doing so, they probably wouldn’t get to star in any iQiyi production ever again.
Kudos to the actors who have come forth to deny signing up for the AI muppets show!
Bill
If they took inspiration from actor/actresses without permission what laws have they broken? Company has a crazy amount of money they’d just pay a fine and keep going.
Dee
I would cancel my subscription period … for one ai looks like ai stiff no expression nothing !
And as they said let ai run the company ! Not everything needs to be ai .. let talent breath
HL
I agree…
HL
Dont watch AI produced shows. That is the only way we can fight our our rights as human. Dont allow AI to take over our lives. Dont believe in the marketing words used about AI.