A trend is gaining popularity in China where people rent out their faces to earn supplementary income alongside their main job. Some participants in this process can earn amounts reaching millions of rupees.
Currently, there is a significant surge of interest in this practice in China. People allow their faces to be used by artificial intelligence (AI) systems so that companies can create advertising materials and other digital content using their likenesses.
Chinese citizens upload their faces onto various digital platforms. If a production company is interested in using such a face, it is transformed into a digital actor using AI. This digital image can be applied in advertising, video games, and other fields.
By providing their face on the platform, an individual can earn from 50 yuan (approximately 700 rupees) up to 99,999 yuan (which is about 14–15 lakh rupees). The amount earned directly depends on the duration and type of project for which the face is used.
According to one report, a bank employee managed to earn about 35,000 rupees in just three days. This happened because an AI agency licensed and used his face, allowing for the creation of digital content without the need for filming or the person appearing in front of a camera.
To start earning this way, one must first upload their face to a specialized platform. There are numerous such resources online where users can upload photos and verify their identity. Platforms like Actid and Xinxhua are used for this purpose.
After uploading photos and completing verification, the user has the option to set their own rules regarding the use of their face. They can determine what type of content their image will be used in and what fee they will charge for it, effectively licensing their face on their own terms.
Once the rules are set, the AI generation process begins. The production company uses the user's face, adapting it to the desired gender and style, and then AI creates the video material. This does not require large studio complexes or a large film crew.
This simplifies and lowers the cost of content creation for companies while offering people a new way to earn money without significant effort.
The prospect of earning millions by renting out one's face sounds attractive, but it is also associated with privacy risks. Legal experts emphasize that it is crucial to carefully review the platforms' contracts. Often, people are not fully aware of where and for how long their image will be used.
Furthermore, some platforms impose significant penalties if a person wishes to remove their face before the contract expires. Thus, although earning from face rental seems simple, before participating, one must clearly understand where and for how long your face will be used, as well as your rights to have it removed.