iQIYI Addresses AI Actor Signing Uproar: Library Inclusion Not Direct Authorization

Recently, news that iQiyi is signing AI actors on a large scale has sparked widespread discussion on social media. After well-known actors like Zhang Ruoyun and their fan communities denied involvement, iQiyi founder Gong Yu and the platform officially responded on April 20 in an effort to ease the industry backlash stirred by the use of AI technology.
The controversy stems from iQiyi's newly launched "Nadu Pro" artist database. The platform intended it as a standardized cooperation channel for AIGC creators. The widely circulated "actor list" actually reflected initial expressions of interest from artists regarding AI technology deployment, contrary to false rumors that "AI image rights had already been signed."
Gong Yu clarified that the publicly available list merely indicates intent to cooperate, and any specific digital development or project application still requires thorough negotiations. iQiyi's official account later issued a statement explaining that while over 100 deeply cooperative artists have agreed to be part of the database, that only signals their interest in exploring AI film projects. Before any concrete project moves forward, separate authorization discussions with each artist are necessary.
This episode has once again brought the debate over the boundaries between AI technology and film performance into the spotlight. While technical tools can produce highly precise digital models, many industry experts and viewers still hold that the human touch and emotional richness in acting are hard for algorithms to replicate.
iQiyi stressed that while exploring the integration of AI with filmmaking, it will rigidly uphold the protection of all parties' legitimate interests as a prerequisite. This implies that amidst the digitalization wave, balancing technological efficiency with artists' portrait and performance rights will remain a long-standing conversation for the film industry.
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Recently, news that iQiyi is signing AI actors on a large scale has sparked widespread discussion on social media. After well-known actors like Zhang Ruoyun and their fan communities denied involvement, iQiyi founder Gong Yu and the platform officially responded on April 20 in an effort to ease the industry backlash stirred by the use of AI technology.
The controversy stems from iQiyi's newly launched "Nadu Pro" artist database. The platform intended it as a standardized cooperation channel for AIGC creators. The widely circulated "actor list" actually reflected initial expressions of interest from artists regarding AI technology deployment, contrary to false rumors that "AI image rights had already been signed."
Gong Yu clarified that the publicly available list merely indicates intent to cooperate, and any specific digital development or project application still requires thorough negotiations. iQiyi's official account later issued a statement explaining that while over 100 deeply cooperative artists have agreed to be part of the database, that only signals their interest in exploring AI film projects. Before any concrete project moves forward, separate authorization discussions with each artist are necessary.
This episode has once again brought the debate over the boundaries between AI technology and film performance into the spotlight. While technical tools can produce highly precise digital models, many industry experts and viewers still hold that the human touch and emotional richness in acting are hard for algorithms to replicate.
iQiyi stressed that while exploring the integration of AI with filmmaking, it will rigidly uphold the protection of all parties' legitimate interests as a prerequisite. This implies that amidst the digitalization wave, balancing technological efficiency with artists' portrait and performance rights will remain a long-standing conversation for the film industry.
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