Overview
- iQIYI introduced Nadou Pro, a tool that can generate short films and connect AI creators to an actor database, and it said it is not licensing likenesses and that actors must confirm any use.
- Chinese actors publicly rejected joining the database as Weibo discussions surged with posts criticizing the plan and reacting to CEO Gong Yu’s remark that fully human-made work could become “intangible cultural heritage.”
- The company’s strategy was reported as aiming for AI to make most new films and TV, with Bloomberg citing a 16-title AI slate and a hope for a fully AI-generated movie as soon as this summer.
- A Shanghai Star Law Firm lawyer warned that training on an artist’s image can enable model fine-tuning, data leakage, and unauthorized reuse that leaves performers with little control over their digital selves.
- Industry peers are testing similar tools, with Netflix using AI-generated final footage in El Eternauta and Amazon MGM Studios building in-house systems, even as doubts persist about whether viewers will pay for fully AI-made movies.