How AI Avatars Are Changing Online Ads—and What It Means for Actors
476These days, if you spend time on TikTok or similar apps, you’ve probably seen ads that feel a bit off. They feature a person talking directly to the camera, pitching products that seem almost too fake to be real. The twist? These faces aren’t real people. Instead, they’re AI-generated avatars created by TikTok to promote products for advertisers.
TikTok has a handful of these digital personas, which are used in countless ads. Brands can make these avatars say whatever they want, without needing actual actors. One of the voices behind these virtual faces is Scott Jacqmein, a 52-year-old actor. He’s part of the growing trend where actors lend their likeness to AI models that can be reused endlessly for ads. The catch? Jacqmein says he was paid just $750 for allowing his face to be used in these AI ads, with no royalties or ongoing payments. That’s a tiny sum considering the platform’s billions in ad revenue each year.
The Hidden Cost for Actors
Jacqmein’s AI avatar appears in various ads. One promotes a horoscope app with a background that looks AI-generated, showing “witches’ birthdays.” Another recommends switching home insurance to a product called “Safeu.” There’s even an ad in Spanish, a language Jacqmein doesn’t speak. He admits he didn’t have an agent when he agreed to work with TikTok, and he wishes he could have negotiated better terms.
He’s worried about how quickly AI tech is advancing. Jacqmein says contracts are struggling to keep up with the technology, and companies are “poaching” new actors eager to work. He saw this as a good way to start his acting career, but now he’s questioning whether it was worth it. “You don’t really know the long-term effects,” he told the New York Times.
AI has been creeping into the acting world fast. Many non-union actors are approached to lend their likeness by tech companies. Often, they just record a few lines on a green screen. It’s an easy, cheap way for companies to produce endless variations of an ad. But this approach can be pretty exploitative.
The Exploitative Side of AI in Acting
One actor who licensed his face to an AI firm called Synthesia was shocked to find it being used in a foreign coup. Others told the NYT they received only a few hundred dollars for what could be countless ads. Generally, non-union actors earn between $300 and $1,000 per commercial, sometimes more if they’re represented. But AI actors only get a small, one-time fee, even though their likeness can be reused infinitely.
In one notable case, an actor was paid around $5,200 for his face appearing in an ad supporting a foreign coup. Compare that to the tiny sums AI actors get, and you see the huge gap. TikTok’s approach is especially stingy, saving advertisers a lot of money. Venture capitalist Joe Marchese said this could be “seismic for advertising,” as digital avatars might become a huge part of marketing in the future.
Many see AI as a powerful tool, but it also raises serious questions. For actors like Jacqmein, it’s a reminder that technology’s rapid growth often outpaces protections. As AI becomes more common in advertising, the debate over fair pay and rights is only just beginning. For now, many actors feel they’re being used as cheap, replaceable content, with little regard for their long-term well-being.
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