LayarHijau – An AI-generated short drama titled Chinese Legends: White Snake has drawn widespread controversy after airing on Zhejiang TV. The title is an English translation of the original Chinese 中国传说·白蛇.
The male lead character, Xu Xian, quickly became the center of discussion after viewers pointed out that his face appears to combine distinctive features associated with Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo.
The controversy began with the release of promotional posters. In one poster featuring two characters, Xu Xian’s side profile was widely described as looking strikingly similar to Xiao Zhan. Some netizens even highlighted a mole on the chin that appeared almost identical. In another poster showing a single character, the same figure was instead said to closely resemble Wang Yibo.
According to a report by Yangtze Evening News (via World Journal), Zhejiang TV’s official Weibo account had previously introduced the project as “the first AI-generated short drama broadcast on satellite television.” However, that post is no longer accessible.
Interestingly, in the actual episodes of the drama, the resemblance to Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo is not as obvious as it appears in the posters. This phenomenon is not uncommon in AI-generated productions.
Characters created using AI often have faces that subtly shift from one scene to another. In one moment, they may resemble a particular celebrity, while in the next, that resemblance fades. This is believed to happen because the AI blends different facial features during the generation process, rather than relying on a simple face-swapping technique.
Despite the controversy, the drama has achieved notable performance in terms of viewership. It aired on Zhejiang TV and ranked second nationwide in its time slot across 34 television channels. The series was also distributed on digital platforms such as Douyin and Z Vision, surpassing one million views within three days of release. Its revenue model includes advertising and paid distribution.
From a legal standpoint, the commercial use of AI in this context may significantly increase the risk of infringement. Affected artists could potentially seek compensation equivalent to commercial endorsement fees.
Lawyer Li Zhenwu from Shanghai Lizhen Law Firm explained that current legal standards for AI-related portrait rights infringement do not depend on whether the image is “identical,” but rather whether it is “recognizable.”
If an average person can consistently identify the AI-generated face as resembling a specific individual, it may already constitute infringement. Public reactions such as “this looks like a certain celebrity” or “it resembles a particular actor” can serve as key evidence in such cases.
