People in China earn US$7 to US$15,000 by licensing faces to AI content producers
- Posted on September 19, 2026
- By South China Morning Post
- 1 Views
- 1 min read
In brief
Chinese individuals are monetizing their facial features by licensing them to AI content creators, earning between $7,000 and $15,000 per agreement. This emerging market reflects the growing demand for synthetic media production, where AI-generated faces substitute for expensive celebrity endorsements. While production companies value celebrity likenesses for brand recognition, ordinary individuals' biometric data becomes valuable digital assets in the AI-driven entertainment industry.
Summary auto-generated by AI from the original publisher's content. Editorial standards.
People in China earn US$7 to 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.
