AI Short Drama "Face-Swap" of Yang Zi Trends on Weibo, Studio Responds: Unauthorized, Legal Team Engaged to Gather Evidence

Is AI starting to act too? Recently, news about “AI actors signing contracts and debuting” has sparked heated discussions online, trending topics, with many actors in AI short dramas resembling celebrities.

On March 20, the topic “AI short drama using Yang Zi’s face” trended on social media. Some netizens reported that a platform’s AI short drama used Yang Zi’s face.

In the afternoon of March 20, Yang Zi’s studio issued a statement: The behavior of unauthorized use of Yang Zi’s likeness through AI face-swapping, deep synthesis, and other technologies in a certain work, producing and spreading video content without permission, seriously infringes on Yang Zi’s legal rights. The studio has entrusted lawyers to collect evidence of the infringement and will pursue legal action to the fullest extent!

Currently, the related videos have been taken down. Technology can create a better future, but it should not be used as a tool for infringement. The internet is not outside the law. The studio firmly defends the rights of artists and will not tolerate any infringement!

Public information shows that Yang Zi is a Chinese mainland actress, graduated from the Beijing Film Academy, Class of 2010, Performance Department. Her notable works include “Home with Kids,” “Ode to Joy,” “Ashes of Love,” “My Dear Guardian,” and “National Beauty.”

Lawyer: AI actors “resembling” celebrities may involve infringement

Chen Yanhong, Vice President and Senior Rights Partner at Beijing DeHeng Law Offices, told Zhongqingbao · Zhongqing.com that AI actors “resembling” celebrities—using AI-generated faces that are highly similar for commercial activities without permission—pose legal risks, potentially infringing on portrait rights and, in certain cases, constituting unfair competition.

If AI-generated virtual faces are sufficiently recognizable by the general public as specific celebrities, such virtual images may fall within the scope of the celebrity’s portrait rights. Even if AI claims the images are “synthesized” or “fictitious,” as long as the facial features and expressions are highly and stably similar to a celebrity, it may lead the public to mistake the image for the celebrity. Using such AI images could constitute “using information technology means” to produce and use someone else’s portrait. In this case, using AI actors that resemble celebrities carries legal risks of infringing portrait rights.

Chen Yanhong emphasized that using AI actors to resemble celebrities may also constitute unfair competition. Article 7 of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law prohibits operators from using others’ well-known marks in a confusing manner without authorization. If the AI celebrity images are used for commercial promotion, live streaming, or sales in the same or similar fields, misleading consumers into believing there is endorsement or cooperation with the celebrity, it could lead to unfair competitive advantages.

Reminder: If you discover AI infringement, please promptly preserve evidence

As AI technology becomes more widely used, such infringement behaviors are increasingly common.

Recently, netizens reported that a short drama titled “Shark Pearl” with over 23 million views, generated by AI, allegedly copied the model’s original work and makeup, sparking infringement disputes. The model, Ms. Ma, stated that the styling used in the drama was her and the photographer’s original work. After Ms. Ma filed a rights protection complaint, the AI short drama was taken down from the platform.

In response, Lawyer Gu Xixi from Shanghai Shenhao Law Firm said that the short drama production company might be involved in portrait rights infringement and copyright infringement.

Lawyers remind that if AI infringement is discovered, evidence should be immediately collected through screenshots, screen recordings, etc., and then seek legal assistance from a lawyer as soon as possible.