Subscribe to The Informer for monthly expert analysis, and to Events for advance notice of visiting world leaders and distinguished guests. You may unsubscribe from Lowy Institute newsletters at any time. For information on our privacy practices and how to unsubscribe, see our Privacy Policy. The most-pressing world events explained by Lowy Institute experts and global contributors, in your inbox, every Thursday. You may unsubscribe from The Interpreter at any time. For information on our privacy practices and how to unsubscribe, see our Privacy Policy. Artificial intelligence, explained. A staff member works on script refinement, on-location filming, AI post-production, and overseas translation and distribution at a micro drama production company on 21 July 2026 in Jiaxing, China (VCG via Getty Images) A face licensed for one AI advert can be reused indefinitely, and local laws have not caught up with that. Would you accept US$15 to let an AI company use your face in artificial intelligence generated content? In China, this is becoming a real proposition. A recent Rest of World (Opens in new window) article reports that people are paid from between US$15 to US$700 to license their facial likenesses for AI-generated microdramas and advertisements produced for mobile phone viewing. China’s mobile entertainment industry is already enormous – and the use of AI-generated content is growing. More than 95% of microdramas released in China during the first three months of 2026 reportedly used AI somewhere in their production. The industry needs more faces – celebrities and ordinary people – to meet the demand for fast-paced, audience-driven microdrama production (Opens in new window). One response has been straightforward: pay people for their faces. At the same time, regulators and platforms are cracking down on harmful and pirated content (Opens in new window),unauthorised digital likeness (Opens in new window), and homogeneous