Chinese streaming platform iQIYI's newly announced artificial intelligence performer database plan, under which actors can authorize the creation of digital doubles for future film and television production, has sparked broad online debate in China over whether actors could one day be replaced by AI.

Experts said AI-generated content, or AIGC, may be suitable only for certain genres, such as science fiction and historical dramas, and that human actors, with their own life experience and understanding of characters, are unlikely to be fully replaced.

On Monday, iQIYI CEO Gong Yu unveiled the AI performer database, called Nadou Pro, at a launch event, and said more than 100 performers had agreed to join, including well-known actors and actresses.

However, by Monday afternoon, several artists issued statements denying ever signing any AI-related authorization.

iQIYI released two statements, on Monday afternoon and early on Tuesday, stressing that the original purpose of the database was "to provide a standardized platform for AIGC creators, making it easier for them to select performers during the production process and efficiently communicate cooperation details with artists through iQIYI".

The platform stressed that "the performers agreeing to join only means they have willingness to cooperate on AI film and television projects".

Whether they would participate in a specific project or play a particular role would still require separate negotiations and authorization, it said, adding that this process is consistent with traditional film and television cooperation.

"The integration of AI and film and television creation is still at an exploratory stage," the platform said, saying in the future, it will "embrace technological change while protecting the interests of performers, creators and audiences".

The issue quickly triggered heated discussion on Chinese social media, with many users questioning whether AI-generated performers could replace human actors in TV dramas and expressing concern that the acting profession could one day be displaced.

Guo Yanmin, a professor at the Communication University of China, said it is still too early to assess the real impact of the AI performer database because its actual operation and implementation have yet to be seen.

But he said the biggest problem with AIGC is that "something fake is fake by nature and can never truly become real", which is a key concern for many viewers.

As a result, even if an AI-generated drama using the voice and face of a famous actor appears highly realistic, audiences may still prefer works performed by actual actors, Guo said.

Guo added some genres are more suited to AI enhancement, such as science fiction, fantasy, historical works and animation-inspired productions.

By contrast, he said, realistic TV dramas and movies may be less suitable for such technology.

He added that it is unlikely actors will be "fully replaced", because acting is a process in which performers draw on years of life experience, values and understanding to interpret a role.

In AI-generated works, by contrast, what remains of the actor is only the face and voice — essentially just a shell — while what viewers are really seeing is the production team's interpretation of the characters, not the actor's own, the professor noted.

Li Ya, a partner at Beijing Zhongwen Law Firm, said the AI performer database may also involve legal risks.

"Even if the actor agrees to authorize the AI production, the artist's team still needs to ensure there are no problems with the value orientation of the AI-generated works, copyright issues and other aspects," he said.

The lawyer also pointed to less controllable risks, such as data leaks and the possibility that faces and voices used in AI-generated dramas could later be illegally exploited by criminals.