On August 6, mainland Chinese actress Qi Wei announced the release of an AI short film promotional video titled “Endless Summer” (《末日盛夏》). However, a controversial shot taken from a low angle under the skirt, deliberately lingering at the skirt hem, sparked a heated debate, quickly making it the number one trending topic on Weibo entertainment.
Qi Wei officially launched her personal AI digital avatar named “Han Qingxia,” along with the slogan “Hello, I’m not Qi Wei,” clearly delineating the boundary between virtual image and reality. With this move, Qi Wei became the first celebrity in the Chinese entertainment industry to proactively open up image standardization for AI authorization.
In “Endless Summer,” Qi Wei’s AI digital avatar “Han Qingxia” is portrayed as a combat female powerhouse in a post-apocalyptic zombie setting. However, in the promotional video, the character is seen wearing a low-waisted skirt for battle, and the initial tacky camera angle directly peering upwards from between her legs, with deliberate pauses at the edge of the skirt hem.
Many netizens believe that the camera design does not match the character setting. The highly tense combat protagonist combined with the voyeuristic camera language not only severely disrupts the world view but also exposes the production team’s negligence in content supervision, raising suspicions of seeking attention through controversial means.
Some netizens questioned: would they film this way if it were a real person? While technology can create virtual characters, the negative visual impression conveyed by the camera will not automatically be desensitized just because it’s AI.
It is worth noting that at a time when the entire entertainment industry is on high alert against AI face-swapping and rampant legal actions for rights protection, Qi Wei’s actions can be considered as unconventional. Although Hong Kong artists Wu Qihua and Carina Lau have already authorized the use of their younger selves’ images for a specific film or game, some netizens believe that as they are older, they can relatively understand this decision.
However, many industry observers and fans of young actors still express concerns. They believe that the resources in the entertainment industry are finite, and when “AI Carina Lau” endorses a game or “AI Wu Qihua” stars in a movie, it means that real young actors are losing opportunities for exposure and advancement. If top-tier veteran actors can forever dominate the screen with a perfect digital avatar at the age of 20, the younger generation of professionally trained actors will face even harsher competition for survival.
At 41 years old, Qi Wei debuted in 2006 on the talent show “The Image of Me” before venturing into the entertainment industry. In 2014, she married Li Chengxuan, a former member of the South Korean boy band TAKE, with whom she has two children. Known as “Qi Ge,” she is direct and unpretentious in her words and actions, daring to express her true thoughts in front of the camera. Netizens praise her for being highly recognizable in both fashion and speech.