The Synthetic Performer : Economic, Labor, Technological, Legal and Ethical Dimensions of AI-Generated Actors in the Vertical Drama Industry
Zen Revista · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 13 Oct 2026
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Abstract
This dissertation investigates the displacement of human actors by generative AI performers in the fastest-growing segment of the screen entertainment economy: the vertical drama, or micro-drama, industry. The study is organized around a triggering case widely reported in October 2026, in which a nineteen-year-old actress, Hannah Lowery, was reportedly recast out of an ice-skating-themed series when the production shifted entirely to AI-generated performers. Using the video report as an entry point, the dissertation triangulates its claims against primary trade reporting, including Business Insider (June 2026), trade publications such as Variety, Mashable, and The Economic Times, regulatory documents, and a broad interdisciplinary literature spanning cultural economics, labor sociology, media theory, and machine learning. Methodologically, the dissertation combines (i) documentary and content analysis of the video case and its verification status, examining each claim individually; (ii) economic analysis of production cost structures, drawing on reported estimates of US$1,000–US$3,000 per AI-generated episode compared with US$100,000–US$300,000 for equivalent productions featuring human casts; (iii) institutional analysis of the emerging regulatory landscape, including the 2023 SAG-AFTRA agreements, California Assembly Bill 2602 (AB 2602), Tennessee’s ELVIS Act, the proposed federal NO FAKES Act, the European Union’s AI Act, and China’s provisions governing deep synthesis and generative AI; and (iv) the construction of forward-looking scenarios for the coming decade. The central argument is threefold. First, vertical dramas constitute a genuine entry-level market for synthetic performance in a manner consistent with disruption theory: their economics are driven by cost minimization and production volume rather than the premium emotional differentiation characteristic of high-end productions. Second, the displacement pressure documented in 2026 is driven less by audi
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Preprint. A preprint — posted publicly before or without journal peer review; findings may still be revised.
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- 2026 (recently)
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