The Aporia · People in China earn between US$7 and US$15,000 by licensing faces to AI content producers

People in China earn between US$7 and US$15,000 by licensing faces to AI content producers

Read the original at South China Morning Post ↗

Cite

APA MLA Chicago

Zhang, Z. (2026, September 19). People in China earn between US$7 and US$15,000 by licensing faces to AI content producers. South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3368108/people-china-earn-between-us7-and-us15000-licensing-faces-ai-content-producers?utm_source=rss_feed

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Quick Summary

In China, individuals are earning between $7 and $15,000 by licensing their faces to AI content producers for use in short dramas, advertisements, and games. Digital face-licensing platforms have become popular, moving from private industry chat groups to public platforms since April. For example, a bank employee earned nearly 2,500 yuan ($370) when an advertising company used his portrait seven times over three days. One such platform, Yuanxiang Xinsheng in Shenzhen, launched in May and enables users to create digital actor profiles after registration and identity verification.

Written by AI on 2026-09-19, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

In China, people are earning between US$7 and US$15,000 by licensing their faces to AI content producers for use in short dramas, advertisements, and games. Some argue that only celebrities' faces have significant recognition value, while everyday faces can be easily generated by AI. Platforms like Shenzhen-based Yuanxiang Xinsheng, launched in May, connect ordinary individuals with content creators after users create "digital actor profiles" following registration and identity verification. Since April, private "face-selling" transactions within industry chat groups have moved to public platforms. For example, a bank employee reportedly earned nearly 2,500 yuan (US$370) when an advertising company used his portrait seven times in just three days, according to the National Business Daily.

Written for “Chinese Faces In AI Content” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

50%

2 of 4 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

64/100

South China Morning Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Technology

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Analyzed 2026-09-19 · how these are computed

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Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

South China Morning Post · 3517 article(s) · 6 correction(s) detected

Running correction rate · 6 correction(s)

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Topics

China Shenzhen Yuanxiang Xinsheng the National Business Daily

Subjects

China GPE · 2× Shenzhen GPE · 1× Yuanxiang Xinsheng ORG · 1× the National Business Daily ORG · 1×

Narrative

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 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.

framing: mixed · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-19

🔮 Among the leading platforms, Shenzhen-based Yuanxiang Xinsheng, launched in May, allows users to create “digital actor profiles” following registration and identity verification.

2026-09-19 · South China Morning Post

People in China earn between US$7 and US$15,000 by licensing faces to AI content producers · mixed framing

Claims (4 extracted, 2 hedged)

number → earn → dramas

Since April, private “face-selling” transactions that once circulated within film and television industry chat groups have progressively transitioned to public platforms. asserted

that → circulate → 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. uncertain

company → earn → Daily

Among the leading platforms, Shenzhen-based Yuanxiang Xinsheng, launched in May, allows users to create “digital actor profiles” following registration and identity verification. uncertain

users → lead → registration