AI face Photo: VCG

The boom in AI-generated short ­dramas in China has created a new market for human likenesses, with some platforms offering people the chance to earn money by licensing their faces for use in AI-generated videos and advertisements. But experts warn that the financial returns may be limited, while the risks to privacy and image rights could have lasting consequences.

The process typically involves uploading photographs, verifying one's identity and signing an authorization agreement specifying how the likeness can be used. People can set a price for licensing their likenesses and specify the types of content they agree to appear in, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

On Chinese lifestyle platforms, searches for facial licensing turn up a range of posts. Some users share their experiences, others advertise recruitment opportunities, while some raise concerns about potential risks. The growing discussion reflects interest in the prospect of earning money from one's appearance, but the commercial value of an ordinary person's likeness remains uncertain.

Xiao Lin, 25, told the Global Times that she first learned about the business through social media posts and considered trying it herself. 

Applicants upload close-up photos of their faces from the front and side, as well as full-body photos taken from the front, side and back. They then provide basic personal information and set their own prices for licensing their likenesses.

Prices vary by platform. Licensing an ordinary person's likeness for a single short video can cost about 100 yuan ($15), while some platforms set a minimum price of 500 yuan. Professional actors may charge several thousand yuan, with some listings reaching 10,000 yuan, according to CCTV.

However, Xiao ultimately decided against participating because of security concerns. She said the promotional posts she came across attracted considerable interest, with many expressing a desire to try the business.

Actress Qi Wei's AI avatar, Han Qingxia, stars in an AI-generated animated series, with Qi serving as its producer. Veteran actor You Benchang authorized the use of his likeness and voice in an AI short drama before he passed away. The youthful likenesses of actress Joey Wong and actor Lawrence Ng have also been licensed for AI-generated productions.

According to CCTV, real facial images can help maintain consistency and recognizability in AI-generated characters. But advances in image-generation technology have reduced the need to use real faces as references. Producers are more likely to pay for a particular likeness when it fits a specific character, with demand concentrated more heavily on celebrities and popular short-drama performers.

For production teams, however, using a real person's face is not ­always necessary. Sanxing, a company that produces AI micro-dramas, noted that creators can use carefully crafted prompts, varied facial expressions and detailed modeling to develop distinctive characters. By repeatedly generating and refining images, they can add imperfections and select faces with recognizable features.

Li Yunkai, an intellectual property lawyer with the Beijing Tianyuan Law Firm, told the Global Times that the scope of authorization depends on the terms of the agreement. A single authorization could allow a person's likeness to be used in multiple productions or commercial settings, or even be used to train AI models or sub-licensed to third parties. 

"This could leave individuals with little control over whether their likenesses appear in misleading advertisements, inappropriate content or scams," he said.

Another concern is that individuals may not fully understand the rights they are granting. According to Li, complex agreements can obscure the scope and duration of authorization, while participants may have little information about how frequently their likenesses are used or whether they are entitled to additional compensation.

Facial data is classified as sensitive personal information under China's Personal Information Protection Law, Li noted. 

Unlike a compromised password, a person's face cannot simply be changed. If facial data is leaked or misused, the effects may persist even after authorization is withdrawn, particularly if the data has already been incorporated into AI model training.

"For those considering the business, the potential earnings are only part of the equation. Understanding how their likenesses may be used, how long the authorization lasts and whether it can be withdrawn is just as important as the payment they receive," he added.