People in China earn between US$7 and US$15,000 by licensing faces to AI content producers
Por Zoey Zhang — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Trending in China People & Culture Trending in China People in China earn between US$7 and US$15,000 by licensing faces to AI content producers
Some argue that for directors, only celebrities’ faces have recognition value, while everyday faces can simply be generated by AI
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Zoey Zhang Published: 6:02pm, 19 Sep 2026
In China, an increasing number of digital face-licensing platforms are connecting ordinary individuals with content creators, enabling them to authorise the use of their likenesses in AI-generated short dramas, advertisements, and games.
Since April, private “face-selling” transactions that once circulated within film and television industry chat groups have progressively transitioned to public platforms.
One bank employee reportedly earned nearly 2,500 yuan (US$370) after an advertising company acquired his portrait seven times within just three days, as reported by the National Business Daily.
Among the leading platforms, Shenzhen-based Yuanxiang Xinsheng, launched in May, allows users to create “digital actor profiles” following registration and identity verification.
Select Voice Select Speed 0.8x 0.9x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.5x 1.75x 00:00 00:00 1x AI-generated voice
