AI Drama Characters Look Like 'Xiao Zhan + Wang Yibo', Fans Outraged Over 'Face Theft'

Chinese AI short dramas are once again stirring controversy! Zhejiang Satellite TV recently launched what is claimed to be the 'first domestically-aired AI short drama' in China, Chinese Legends: White Snake, but it has drawn intense public scrutiny due to the characters’ appearances allegedly 'splicing together' real celebrity features. In particular, the appearance of the male lead has been accused of looking extremely similar to Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo—the popular duo from The Untamed. The male lead even sports Xiao Zhan's signature mole under his lip, prompting fans to question whether this constitutes unauthorized 'AI face theft.'

The drama recently released multiple character posters. One shows a green-robed scholar, which netizens say looks almost identical to Xiao Zhan—especially the side profile paired with the distinctive mole under the lip, a trademark of Xiao Zhan. Another character is said to strongly resemble Wang Yibo, reigniting the 'Bo Jun Yi Xiao' topic online. Although officials quickly deleted the related promotional posts, discussion has already spread rapidly across the internet, with fans urging both actors’ studios to take action to protect their rights.

However, the controversy has not subsided. Chinese Legends: White Snake is still available to watch on some short drama apps, although the cover has quietly been changed to a close-up of White Snake, with the disputed AI characters no longer appearing. When viewers actually open the content, only the opening scene where 'Xu Xian' looks up faintly shows a face similar to Xiao Zhan’s; other scenes appear to have been post-edited and look significantly different from the original posters. As for the character accused of resembling Wang Yibo, he is not present in any of the 24 episodes.

News Source: Liberty Times Entertainment