AI-Generated Actors Spark Portrait Rights Controversy in China

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Chinese production company Yaoke Media launched two AI-generated actors, Qin Lingyue and Lin Xiyan, whose facial features resemble real celebrities. This has triggered public backlash and legal disputes over portrait rights, raising concerns about intellectual property violations and the impact of AI on the entertainment industry.[AI generated]

Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?

An AI system is involved as these are AI-generated actors (AI system generating human-like images). The issue raised is about potential violations of intellectual property or personality rights (portrait rights) due to the AI actors' facial features resembling real people. This constitutes a violation of intellectual property or related rights, which is a recognized harm under the AI Incident definition. Since the dispute and controversy are already occurring, this is a realized harm, not just a potential one.[AI generated]
AI principles
Respect of human rightsPrivacy & data governance

Industries
Media, social platforms, and marketing

Affected stakeholders
Other

Harm types
Human or fundamental rightsEconomic/PropertyReputational

Business function:
Research and development

AI system task:
Content generation


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