AI voice cloning harms Chinese dubbing actors' livelihoods
Chinese voice actors report that AI voice-cloning technology is being used without authorization to generate similar voices, causing them to lose work and income. Multiple actors have pursued legal remedies without success, citing difficulties with evidence collection, law enforcement, and legal gaps that make infringement cases hard to prosecute.
What happened
Since late 2025, Chinese voice actors have reported their voices being cloned using AI technology without authorization. Voice actor Zhang Gaiming discovered that his voice, particularly the character 'Tayi Zhenren' from the film 'Nezha 2', was cloned on a large scale, finding 700 infringing cases in one day.
In March 2026, multiple voice actors including Bianchang Studio, 729 Voice Factory, Ji Guanlin, and others issued a joint statement demanding the government address AI voice-cloning infringement and proposing 'three prohibitions': banning unauthorized voice collection and AI generation, resisting profit-driven voice abuse, and requiring platforms to remove infringing content and pursue legal responsibility.
Reported impact
Zhang Gaiming stated that AI voice-cloning infringement directly affected his income, with clients choosing not to continue working with him because similar or free AI voices were available. Three contracts were cancelled as a result.
Voice actor Zhang Xiaomai expressed concern about the industry's future, stating that AI technology has severely squeezed the living space of voice actors, causing many to experience sharp drops in work orders, with some colleagues forced to switch careers to work in food delivery or real estate.
Anhui voice actor Mi Zi recorded two lines of voiceover for a chain KTV's New Year advertisement in late 2025, but the released video contained three lines—the third generated by AI cloning her voice without consent—and the advertisement was broadcast at over 100 stores and multiple online platforms.
Index analysis
Voice actor Xiaommu reported that some infringers use sophisticated methods, often 'gluing' the voices of multiple actors to the same character, making complete identification difficult. Some exploit platform loopholes by repeatedly removing content when reported and re-uploading under new accounts, with platform punishment measures proving largely ineffective.
Some short-video platforms charge users for content using these pirated AI voices, profiting from actors' voices without any consent. Voice actor Chang Xibo found that platforms lack dedicated complaint options for voice cloning infringement.
Governance controls
China's legal experts widely indicated that AI voice-cloning infringement faces multiple regulatory challenges in practice, including difficulty with evidence collection, authentication, and incomplete legal frameworks. Professor Zhao Zhanling from China University of Political Science and Law's Intellectual Property Center recommended that platforms actively prohibit users from using others' voices without authorization, and that voice actors register their commercially valuable voices separately for future enforcement.
Zhang Gaiming noted that despite pursuing legal remedies, none have succeeded. Infringers are often minors with weak legal awareness or people generating income through traffic. Even if he won a case, compensation would be minimal, enforcement difficult, and legal costs would be disproportionate to the infringement damages.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.