Screenshots of the short drama videos featuring AI characters sharing near-identical faces

Almond-shaped eyes, petal-like lips and a permanent soft-focus glow on the cheekbones, the faces of AI-generated short-drama characters can be almost too perfect. 

After binge-watching several AI short dramas on Chinese short-video platforms, viewers may find themselves wondering whether they have accidentally stumbled into the same show again.

The phenomenon of AI characters sharing near-identical faces has become so noticeable that Hongguo Short Drama, a micro-drama platform operated by ByteDance, has moved to rein it in.

Hongguo recently issued a notice calling for creators of AI dramas to avoid using highly similar facial appearances across different productions and characters, warning against a "one-size-fits-all" approach to character design. 

The platform also said it would launch a special campaign targeting frequently used AI faces, homogenized content and unauthorized materials.

"Men, women, young and old are all using the same face. It's starting to give me the uncanny-valley feeling," one viewer commented on the social media Sina Weibo.

Another complained that AI characters seemed to make exactly the same facial expressions whenever they spoke, while others said watching several dramas in succession with nearly identical female leads gave them an unsettling sense of "something human, but not quite human."

Screenshots of the short drama videos featuring AI characters sharing near-identical faces

A comparison of several AI short dramas, including Twilight in Later Years, Mother-in-Law's Awakening and Shedding the Burden to Find Myself, shows their middle-aged female protagonists feature similar straight eyebrows and large double eyelids, while their smiles and crying expressions can also appear strikingly alike.

The platform said creators should conduct self-checks and promptly modify or replace problematic content. The upcoming campaign will specifically target "high-frequency AI faces," homogenized character designs and violations involving source materials.

A commentary published by the People's Daily newspaper in early August noted that AI micro-dramas had accounted for more than 95 percent of newly released micro-dramas over the previous six months, while their total viewing volume still lagged far behind that of productions featuring human performers. 

The commentary argued that mass-produced, visually similar AI content could actually strengthen audiences' appetite for more authentic storytelling and distinctive characters.

Platforms are therefore beginning to add more checks before AI productions reach audiences.

On August 3, Douyin Group's Short Drama Creator Center launched a pre-screening tool for AI drama copyright holders and directors. With it, eligible creators can upload promotional and production materials as well as completed works for preliminary checks on potential infringement before release.

Screenshots of the short drama videos featuring AI characters sharing near-identical faces