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About this Episode
Generating replicas without consent is personal infringement, experts say
专家表示未经同意复制人脸属于侵权
A Chinese short drama series suspected of using artificial intelligence to obtain people's facial data has sparked public outcry in recent days, prompting regulators and legal experts to stress that technological advancement must not infringe on personal rights.
近日，一部国产短剧因涉嫌使用人工智能技术盗取他人面部数据，引发公众强烈愤慨。监管部门和法律专家强调，技术进步绝不能以侵犯个人权利为代价。
In late March, several bloggers — including traditional Chinese attire enthusiasts and models — accused the popular AI-generated series Peach Blossom Hairpin of using technology to replicate their facial features, outfits and makeup without consent to create characters that were widely distributed on short-video platforms.
3月下旬，多名博主——包括传统服饰爱好者和模特——公开指控热门AI生成短剧《桃花簪》未经其同意，使用技术手段复制了他们的面部特征、服装和妆容，并以此生成角色，在短视频平台广泛传播。
By then, the series had already garnered more than 40 million views on Hongguo, a micro-drama platform, and some of the alleged victims said they were preparing to take legal action.
截至事发，该剧在微短剧平台"红果"上的播放量已超过4000万。部分据称受害的博主表示，正准备采取法律行动。
On Friday, Hongguo said on its official WeChat account that the series had been removed and that no new content would be uploaded for 15 days because its creator had failed to provide sufficient proof of compliance with regulations governing facial imagery.
上周五（4月3日），红果在其官方微信公众号上发布声明称，《桃花簪》已被下架，且因出品方未能提供充分证据证明其符合有关面部影像的法规要求，该出品方将暂停上传所有剧集15天。
The platform said adherence to legal and regulatory standards is a non-negotiable baseline, but noted that short dramas, as a new form of creative product, present major challenges for content review, particularly with the rise of AI tools.
平台表示，遵守法律法规是不可逾越的底线，但同时也指出，短剧作为新生业态，尤其行业引入AI制作技术后，素材识别难度迅速增大。
It pledged to strengthen content review processes, upgrade verification technologies and improve authorization procedures to foster a more regulated environment for content creation and distribution.
平台承诺将率先强化内容审核机制、迅速提升内容审核技术、健全授权核验流程，努力与行业共同营造规范有序的内容创作与传播环境。
Although the producer has not confirmed whether bloggers' photos were used as templates for AI generation, legal experts said such actions could still constitute infringement.
尽管制作方尚未证实博主的照片是否被用作AI生成的模板，但法律专家表示，此类行为仍可能构成侵权。
Zhao Zhanling, a lawyer at Beijing Javy Law Firm, said under the Civil Code and legal practice, if an AI-generated face leads the public to associate it with a specific individual, it may constitute infringement.
北京嘉潍律师事务所律师赵占领指出，根据《民法典》及司法实践，如果AI生成的面部特征足以让公众联想到特定个人，就可能构成侵权。
"Copying a person's image and processing it with AI is a typical example of using information technology to violate someone's portrait rights," Zhao said.
赵占领说："复制他人形象并用AI进行处理，是利用信息技术侵害他人肖像权的典型表现。"
As AI technology becomes more prevalent in the film and television industry, similar cases of AI-powered face and voice swapping have become increasingly frequent.
随着AI技术在影视行业日益普及，类似的AI换脸、换声侵权案例也愈发频繁。
Last month, the Beijing Internet Court disclosed a case in which an actress' images were misused by two companies using AI face-swapping technology in a short drama.
上月，北京互联网法院披露一起案件：两名公司在一部短剧中利用AI换脸技术擅自使用了一位女演员的肖像。
The court ruled in favor of the actress, ordering the defendants to issue a public apology and compensate her for financial losses.
法院判决支持该女演员，要求被告公开道歉并赔偿经济损失。
In another case, the court supported a voice-over artist, ruling that using AI to imitate someone's voice without permission constitutes infringement of voice rights.
另一起案件中，法院支持了一位配音演员，认定未经许可用AI模仿他人声音构成对声音权的侵害。
"The advancement of AI has facilitated creative production but has also been exploited for infringing activities," said Ma Xiangxiang, a lawyer at the Anjie Broad Law Firm.
安杰世泽律师事务所律师马翔翔表示，AI技术的进步便利了创意生产，但也被不法分子用于侵权活动。
She noted that regulators in China have begun addressing the illegal use of such technology, particularly in AI-driven face swapping in short videos.
她指出，中国监管部门已开始着手整治此类技术的非法使用，尤其是在短视频领域的AI换脸行为。
On Thursday, the performers' committee of the China Federation of Radio and Television Associations issued a statement condemning the unauthorized use of actors' images and voices through AI face swapping, voice cloning and unauthorized editing or remixing.
上周四（4月2日），中国广播电视社会组织联合会演员委员会发布声明，谴责未经授权使用AI换脸合成、声纹克隆复刻、影视素材任意篡改、魔改、擅自抓取演员影像声频用于AI模型训练等侵权行为。
The committee said any content that can be linked to specific actors — whether through AI-generated lookalikes, imitated voices, face-swapped dramas, commercial use, virtual replicas or derivative works — does not avoid liability, regardless of labeling.
委员会表示，凡可关联特定公众演员的AI撞脸、仿声演绎、换脸短剧、商业植入、虚拟人复刻、素材二创改编等侵权内容，即便标注“非商用”“公益分享”“个人二创”等字样，均不构成合法免责依据，仍需承担全部侵权责任。
On Sunday, the studio of Yi Yangqianxi said AI-generated dramas using the actor's likeness without permission had been circulating online.
上周日（4月5日），易烊千玺工作室发布声明称，网络上出现未经授权使用该演员肖像制作的AI生成短剧。
The actor has not appeared in such productions nor authorized any third party to use his image for AI synthesis, the studio said, adding that it had engaged lawyers.
该演员并未出演此类作品，也未授权任何第三方使用其形象进行AI合成，工作室已委托律师处理。
Zhao said pursuing legal remedies is important but noted that it is more difficult for ordinary individuals to identify infringement, as AI-generated content often draws on large datasets.
赵占领表示，寻求法律救济很重要，但普通个体识别侵权的难度更大，因为AI生成内容往往依赖海量数据集。
"Producers frequently claim that any resemblance is purely coincidental, making it harder to prove recognizability," he said. "Additionally, the costs of legal action — including evidence collection, notarization and litigation — can be prohibitively high."
"制作方常常声称任何相似纯属巧合，这使得证明'可识别性'更加困难。此外，包括取证、公证和诉讼在内的法律行动成本可能高得令人却步。"
He advised individuals who discover unauthorized AI-generated content using their likeness to immediately record or take a screenshot of the material and preserve evidence, preferably through blockchain methods.
他建议，发现自己的形象被未经授权用于AI生成内容的个人，应立即对相关素材进行录屏或截图，并通过区块链等方式保全证据。
He added that filing complaints with hosting platforms is a faster and more affordable way to seek remedies. Ma cited the Civil Code, which requires platforms to take necessary measures — such as removal, blocking or disconnection of links — once notified of infringing content.
他还指出，向平台投诉是更快捷、更低成本的维权途径。马翔翔援引《民法典》指出，平台在接到侵权通知后，必须采取删除、屏蔽、断开链接等必要措施。
Upon receiving such notice, platforms must promptly forward it to the alleged infringer and take appropriate action based on preliminary evidence and the nature of the service, she said.
她表示，平台收到通知后，应及时转送给涉嫌侵权的网络用户，并根据初步证据和服务类型采取相应行动。
She also called for a stronger legal framework to further regulate AI applications, thereby ensuring data security, intensifying personal information and minor protection and serving the healthy development of the digital economy.
她还呼吁建立更完善的法律框架以进一步规范AI应用，从而保障数据安全，加强对个人信息和未成年人的保护，服务数字经济的健康发展。
spark public outcry /spɑːrk ˈpʌblɪk ˈaʊtkraɪ/引发公众强烈愤慨
infringe on personal rights /ɪnˈfrɪndʒ ɒn ˈpɜːrsənəl raɪts/侵犯个人权利
replicate /ˈreplɪkeɪt/复制
without consent /wɪˈðaʊt kənˈsent/未经同意
Civil Code /ˈsɪvəl koʊd/民法典
portrait rights /ˈpɔːrtrət raɪts/肖像权
swapping /ˈswɒpɪŋ/替换、变换
legal remedies /ˈliːɡəl ˈremədiz/法律救济
blockchain /ˈblɒktʃeɪn/区块链
Hosts & Guests
No transcript available for this episode.
