Actors are losing roles to AI knockoffs of themselves

Brittany Marsicek was surprised to see a vertical drama she starred in remade with a character who acted and sounded like her. MoboReels Actors say AI micro dramas are using their likenesses and voices without their consent. The fast-growing mobile entertainment sector has rapidly embraced AI. The actors say they have little ability to fight back or get compensation. What does it feel like when an AI version of you takes your job? That was the strange reality facing actor Ashley BeLoat when she came across an AI-generated remake of a series she had starred in. Last year, BeLoat played the lead in "Hate the Way I Love You," a " micro drama " released by the app MoboReels, about a young couple whose future is shattered by a cancer diagnosis. She was shocked to discover, a few months later, that a series with the same plot appeared on the same app. The AI-generated actor in her role appeared younger and glammed up — with longer hair and a plunging neckline — but mimicked BeLoat's movements and had a voice that sounded eerily like hers. A micro drama starring Ashley BeLoat, left, was remade with a younger-looking AI character. MoboReels BeLoat told Business Insider it felt like an affront to the personal experience she'd drawn on for the role, as a nurse who has worked in oncology and faced cancer in her personal life. "Being an actor is a very vulnerable thing," she said. "It requires us to live private moments in public." "If there's a lack of trust in who we're working for, not only does it prevent us from giving something good for the viewer, but it takes away the reason that we do this," she continued. BeLoat said that, through her manager, she'd been reaching out to the app, hoping to have the AI version of the show removed or get compensation. So far, she hasn't gotten a response. Ashley BeLoat was shocked to see her voice and movements replicated by an AI character. Stephanie Girard BeLoat's experience isn't an isolated incident in the $1.4 billion US micro drama industry, which has rapidly embraced AI. Several other actors and producers said their on-screen work had been remixed into AI versions without their knowledge or consent. It's part of a wider trend of AI roiling various aspects of the industry. Business Insider previously reported that some micro drama apps had switched productions to synthetic actors after originally casting humans, and had used AI to make misleading, sexualized promos as they fought to attract new viewers. These short-form series designed for mobile viewing — also called verticals — had been a rare bright spot for actors amid a yearslong slump in film and TV production. Now, those actors have to consider whether their own work helped fuel their potential AI replacements. The actors feel there's little they can do. Brittany Marsicek also starred in a MoboReels show — "Ex-Husband, Step Aside, Lady Boss Returns" — that was remade with AI. Her character looked different, but acted and sounded like her. Marsicek, who's acted in more than 25 verticals, said she didn't have any AI protections in her contracts and that, in general, they grant the producer broad editing permissions. These jobs are often nonunion and feature early-career actors, who worry about the risks of speaking out. Brittany Marsicek starred in a series that was remade with an AI character that acted and sounded like her. Stephanie Girard "You're thinking, OK, maybe they'll edit it to be horizontal instead of vertical," Marsicek said of the contract. "You don't think that their editing includes completely changing your likeness." Actors say they've also felt the impact of AI in the number of auditions and jobs they've been able to get. BeLoat had been acting full time in verticals, but has since returned to nursing work. It's a sign of what could come for prestige Hollywood, as AI increasingly creeps into TV and film and studios look to cut spending. Right now, Hollywood studios have leeway to use AI, though they're constrained by restrictions and the potential for blowback from audiences and A-listers. Under their 2026 contract with the actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, studios can make AI-generated avatars that don't look like a particular person if they bargain with the union, said Jonathan Handel, an entertainment attorney. They can also create a digital replica of an actor's voice or likeness with the actor's consent. "This is the canary in the coal mine, and the reputational guardrail is something that over time might well erode as something becomes accepted in the micro drama world," Handel said. "That would put pressure on Hollywood, as well, to meet the economic change." Evan Gambardella said he felt "betrayed" when he recognized himself in an AI series, right, that he had no involvement in. GoodShort 'I felt dirty' Evan Gambardella starred in "Straight Until He Kissed Me," a "boys' love" drama about a med student and a CEO, released on GoodShort in September. While scrolling through the app recently, he said he recognized his face in a show called "Mafia King's Contract Groom," where the hero ends up marrying a crime boss. Gambardella said he felt "dirty and betrayed." He said he was grateful to GoodShort for helping him launch his acting career and to be part of a series that spoke to queer audiences. He felt he should have been informed and compensated for the use of his face, though. "I only got paid $5,000, but a lot of queer people saw themselves in it," he said. "When that show came out, I was heartbroken." Gambardella said he didn't think his contract had strong AI protections and couldn't prove the AI character was based on him, so he didn't see any point in fighting. For now, he's focusing on finding work with micro drama companies that are still casting real people. He added that since speaking out about his experience on social media, he hadn't gotten any work and felt that he may have been blacklisted. A rep for GoodShort said the app acquired "Mafia King's Contract Groom" from a third-party creator. The rep said GoodShort doesn't support the unauthorized use of an actor's image, voice, or identity, and that it's working with its partners to uphold standards that "respect performers, protect creative integrity, and provide audiences with transparency around how AI is used." Some actors have taken their complaints to social media to educate fans and urge them not to watch AI versions of themselves, lest it help those films' viewership numbers and validate the practice. Gambardella said he'd gotten comments from fans who thought his AI doppelganger was him. As AI videos get more realistic, it may get harder to tell what's real and what's not. "A lot of people thought I was AI," he said. Evan Gambardella believes he may have been blacklisted after speaking out on social media. Oliver Göttfert One of the biggest players in the micro drama space is testing the waters with AI. ReelShort's "Poolboy" was an early queer-themed hit when it was released last year. Cast members and viewers spoke out on social media after ReelShort released an anime version titled "Under the Surface" with an identical plot and description. "The idea of AI taking jobs away from artists and big companies using AI to exploit creatives for profit — that idea is no longer an idea," said Jen Parkhill, the director of the original "Poolboy." "It's a real true circumstance that's arriving on our shores now — we need to be talking about profit sharing and artists having ownership over their IP." Some actors believe the AI films won't have staying power. Marsicek isn't so sure. "Even if half of the people cancel their subscriptions and don't watch verticals anymore, if there's still some people watching it, they're still making money because they're so much cheaper to make," she said. Have a tip? Contact the reporter via email at lmoses@businessinsider.com , (917) 209-8549, or on Signal at @luciamoses.81. 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