China is witnessing a new trend in its growing artificial intelligence industry, where actors, models and ordinary people are earning money by licensing their faces for AI-generated videos. The emerging business model is creating fresh opportunities as demand for digital content continues to rise.
According to a report by Rest of World, several AI platforms in China are paying individuals between $15 and $700 to license their likenesses. These platforms allow content producers to browse catalogs of faces based on age, gender and appearance before selecting them for AI-generated productions.
The demand for licensed faces has increased alongside the rapid expansion of China’s microdrama industry. These short, smartphone-friendly video series have become highly popular among viewers and are increasingly produced with the help of artificial intelligence.
Reports show that around 128,000 microdramas were released in China during the first three months of 2026. More than 95 percent of these productions used AI at some stage of development, highlighting the technology’s growing role in the entertainment industry.
One of the companies involved in this market is Shenzhen-based ActID, which launched its platform in March. The company has already registered around 800 users, with approximately 300 agreeing to license their faces for AI productions.
According to the company, two AI drama projects have already licensed around 10 different faces through its platform. Payments ranged from $15 to $74 per episode, while ActID retained a 10 percent commission on each transaction.
ActID says AI productions require a wide range of appearances. While conventionally attractive faces are often selected for leading roles, distinctive looks and older individuals are also in demand for different characters.
In these productions, the licensed individual does not physically perform the role. Instead, their facial features become source material used by artificial intelligence to generate digital characters for videos and dramas.
Another company, Chengdu-based New Claw, also entered the face licensing market after AI disrupted its traditional production business. The company said declining advertising budgets and changes in the entertainment industry encouraged the shift toward AI-generated content.
New Claw has introduced a minimum price of $74 per image to prevent users from offering their likenesses at extremely low rates. The company believes this approach helps maintain fair pricing within the growing industry.
While the market continues to expand, concerns over unauthorized use of facial images are also increasing. Several platforms now promote licensed face services as a legal alternative to using someone’s likeness without permission.
In one high-profile case, two influencers accused ByteDance’s Hongguo platform of using their faces without consent in an AI-generated drama. The production reportedly received more than 40 million views before it was removed.
ByteDance said it has removed more than 85,000 videos involving unauthorized AI recreations of people’s faces or voices since the beginning of 2026. The company stated that it continues to strengthen enforcement against such content.
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Legal disputes involving AI-generated images are also rising. The Guangzhou Internet Court has handled around 700 face-related AI cases during the past three years.
