A short online drama has come under intense public scrutiny after viewers suspected it used artificial intelligence to superimpose the face of Chinese actress Dilraba Dilmurat onto its lead character without permission.
Watch: Dilraba Dilmurat Short Drama AI Goes Viral
Eagle-eyed netizens spotted several scenes where the actress on screen bore a striking resemblance to Dilraba, also known as Dilireba, triggering discussions on copyright infringement and personal image rights.
An investigation by Red Star News confirmed that the drama had been streamed across multiple digital theatre platforms. One representative from a platform involved in distributing the show, identified only by the surname Yan, claimed the drama had been sourced legally from the copyright holder. It was allegedly part of a second-round licensing package shared among several streaming services.
However, the representative admitted that once the AI-related controversy emerged, the platform began revising the show’s content. By the time of publication, scenes thought to be problematic had already been removed.
Further compounding the mystery, the official account of the platform that hosted the drama could no longer be found via public search the following day. Customer service staff speculated that the account had either been sanctioned or made private by its owner.
On 13 April, Red Star News attempted to contact the production team behind the drama. A staff member who answered the call said they would need to consult with relevant parties before issuing any formal response. As of now, no official comment has been provided.
The incident has raised broader concerns about the misuse of AI in entertainment, particularly in cases involving unauthorised likenesses of celebrities.
Yang Qing, a lawyer from Taihe Tai Law Firm, warned that replacing a person’s face with that of a celebrity through AI technology—without obtaining consent—can constitute a violation of their image rights. Such actions, if pursued legally, could lead to serious consequences under China’s current legal framework.
The case has reignited debate over the ethical and legal use of AI-generated content, especially as tools that enable face-swapping and deepfake effects become increasingly accessible to amateur creators.
It remains unclear whether legal action will be taken, either by Dilraba Dilmurat or her agency, but the discussion continues to dominate online forums.
This situation highlights growing anxieties in the digital content world, where AI can now recreate likenesses that are almost indistinguishable from reality.
Law experts and digital rights advocates alike are calling for stricter regulations and clear legal boundaries to prevent further incidents of this nature.
Platforms involved in the distribution have yet to publish public apologies, but users across social media are demanding more transparency and responsibility from both creators and streamers.
The drama, whose title has not been made public, appears to have been part of the recent wave of short-form series aimed at mobile-first viewers.
While it may have begun as a low-budget experiment in storytelling, it now finds itself at the centre of a heated ethical debate.
With Dilraba’s global popularity and strong fanbase, the incident is also drawing international attention, potentially complicating the matter further.
The case could set a precedent for future AI-related disputes in the entertainment sector.
For now, viewers and legal observers are closely watching how the situation unfolds.