Summary of Key Points
This news article discusses several key phenomena related to AI-generated short films and the licensing of celebrity portraits. It highlights that Qi Wei’s digital avatar met with public resistance, while the AI projects involving older celebrities like Wang Zuxian and Wu Qihua were more well-received. AI virtual characters, such as Fang Taizi, have seen a surge in commercial value, but ordinary people face challenges such as the unauthorized use of their images and the difficulty in protecting their rights. Additionally, AI is not only competing with actors in the entertainment industry but also “distilling” the experiences of workers, leading to a sense of anxiety among the public: they want to enjoy the convenience of AI but fear being replaced by it.
1. Qi Wei vs. Older Celebrities: Why Such Different Reactions to AI Licensing?
Qi Wei’s digital avatar, “Han Qingxia,” was criticized, whereas Wang Zuxian’s AI short film was well-received. The main difference lies in timing and positioning:
- Older celebrities (like Wang Zuxian and Wu Qihua) are no longer in the peak of their careers, so licensing their images serves as a way to evoke nostalgia. Viewers see their classic images from the past, feeling as if an old friend has returned, without disrupting the current market.
- Qi Wei, still in the prime of her career and without a compelling body of work (such as a hit drama or iconic role), tried to monetize through her digital avatar, which viewers saw as exploiting her talent while she was idle. In short, the older celebrities’ approach was seen as a nostalgic gesture, while the younger celebrity’s was seen as threatening their own career.
2. Can AI Virtual Characters Earn More Than Real People? The Commercial Phenomenon of Fang Taizi
The AI-generated character Fang Taizi has become an unexpected success:
- Her starring role in the short film “The Girl Who Was Laid Off” has garnered nearly 400 million views, and her Douyin account has 500,000 followers.
- The advertising rates for her are higher than those of many young celebrities: 238,000 yuan for product placement and 258,000 yuan for custom videos. The second season’s sponsorship opportunities were also highly sought after.
What’s more impressive is that she shares her “daily life” in a way that makes it difficult to distinguish between her and a real person—sweating brows, mosquito bites, eating boxed meals on set, etc. Tang Guoqiang’s earlier prediction that AI would replace human actors seems to be coming true.
3. Have Ordinary People’s Faces Become Free Material for AI?
Celebrities can license their images to earn money, but ordinary people are at the mercy of unauthorized use by AI:
- Blogger Qi Hai Christ’s face was used in the AI short film “Peach Blossom Hairpin” to create a villain character, causing significant damage to her reputation.
- More frighteningly, her face has been used as a template in many subsequent short films, with altered versions that still bear her features. It’s extremely difficult for her to prove that the images actually use her face.
Without the resources and legal teams of celebrities, ordinary people are powerless to stop the misuse of their images.
4. Are Workers Also Affected by AI? AI’s Role in “Optimizing” Labor?
AI is not only competing with actors but also affecting workers:
- Companies are “distilling” employee data—collecting information about work habits, communication styles, and decision-making processes to train AI to perform repetitive tasks.
- This is ostensibly about “liberating productivity,” but in reality, it’s a pretext for layoffs. Most ordinary jobs involve repetitive tasks, and once replaced by AI, workers lose even the chance of taking on more innovative roles.
Many people on REDnote complain, “Now we have to report AI usage at weekly meetings; it feels like I might be the next to get laid off.”
5. Our Attitudes Towards AI: A Mix of Love and Hate, and Hesitation as a Form of Resistance
People have mixed feelings about AI:
- On one hand, we use AI to write copy and create PPTs, enjoying its convenience.
- On the other hand, we fear being replaced by it, which causes anxiety.
- As one netizen put it, “We’re not part of the old era that resists change, but we also don’t want to be controlled by the new one.”
Qi Wei’s decision to license her image is a strategic move, while ordinary people’s resistance stems from fear of falling behind. However, hesitation itself is a form of action—AI won’t wait for us to make up our minds, but as long as we keep thinking, we’re already taking steps to adapt.
In Conclusion
In the AI era, celebrities have the means to embrace this technology, and virtual characters can generate revenue through popularity. Ordinary people, however, can only passively endure the risks. What we can do is to be cautious while enjoying the benefits of AI, protect our personal images, and develop skills that make us irreplaceable, so we don’t end up with our lives reduced to mere data.