People in China are renting their faces to AI — for up to $15,000
Would you let an artificial intelligence company use your face for money? In China, a growing number of ordinary people are doing exactly that, licensing their appearance to AI content producers who can turn their faces into digital actors for videos, advertisements, games and other virtual content. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here. Prices range…
In China, a growing number of ordinary people are renting their faces to artificial intelligence companies for payment, with prices ranging from 50 yuan, approximately $7, to 100,000 yuan, nearly $15,000. This emerging business allows individuals to "rent" their faces digitally, saving them from appearing in every production. One man, a 27-year-old bank employee named Huang, licensed his portrait seven times within three days, earning around 2,600 yuan, or roughly $370.
AI technology can generate new footage featuring a person's likeness once their appearance has been digitally captured. Online platforms in China are connecting people willing to license their likenesses with companies producing AI-generated content, with prices varying depending on the person's appearance, image usage, and licensing agreement terms.
The highest advertised figures should not be considered as typical earnings; smaller sums, equivalent to $15 to $74 per episode, have also been reported. This new gig work allows people to monetize their appearance instead of their time or labor. However, it raises questions about consent and control, as licensing a person's face could potentially allow their likeness to appear in situations they never physically participated in.
Written by urgent.news from Gulf News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
