China’s state media has weighed into the row over iQIYI’s so-called AI artist library, warning that entertainment companies cannot let technological ambition override human and legal limits. The Economic Daily said the controversy should serve as a reminder that cultural products are not ordinary commodities and that any use of real people’s data in artificial intelligence projects must rest on clear authorisation and firm boundaries.

The dispute erupted after iQIYI unveiled Nadou Pro, a platform linked to AI-generated film and television production. According to reports from Technode, China Daily and other outlets, more than 100 performers were said to have signed up, but several well-known actors, including Zhang Ruoyun, Wang Churan, Li Yitong and Yu Hewei, publicly denied giving permission for their likenesses to be used, fuelling online scepticism and confusion.

iQIYI later said the system was meant as a matchmaking tool for creators using AI-generated content and performers, with any actual collaboration requiring separate discussion and confirmation. That clarification did little to calm the debate, with criticism focusing on whether the platform could normalise the use of human images in a way that blurred consent and control.

In its commentary, the Economic Daily argued that AI should remain a tool rather than a substitute for core creative work. It said technology can be used to cut costs and improve efficiency in tasks such as restoration, editing and post-production, but that writing, acting and directing must remain in human hands. The newspaper added that cultural creation depends on real experience and emotion, and that the industry must think not only about profit, but also about the public trust on which it relies.

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Source: Noah Wire Services