China ‘uses AI’ to turn gay couple straight in new Dave Franco film
A Chinese version of the film Together has been censored, likely with AI. (Together/Neon)
A Chinese version of the film Together has been censored, likely with AI. (Together/Neon)
A Chinese version of Dave Franco’s new horror film Together has been digitally altered character so that a gay couple appear to be heterosexual, according to reports.
Artificial intelligence appears to have been used in the Chinese release of the Australian movie to change the gender identity of the character, leaving no LGBTQ+ representation in the story.
In the original film, audiences see a newlywed couple played by Charlie Lees and MJ Dorning. However, cinema-goers in China got to watch a straight couple with the former essentially removed from the film.
According to Bloomberg, people who saw an early screening of the film on mainland China on 12 September said that nothing seemed out of the ordinary, until they learnt of the changes through social media.
ADAM AND STEVE TO ADAM AND EVE
— Angelica 🌐⚛️🇹🇼🇨🇳🇺🇸 (@AngelicaOung) September 17, 2025
Here’s a use of AI I bet you never thought of! The horror film “Together” featured a gay couple in a peripheral role (see below) that got magicked into a straight couple in the Chinese edition.
No spoilers, but this definitely makes the film make… pic.twitter.com/bsxw5019uj
One person on X/Twitter complained that the change of character “definitely makes the film make less sense”. Another, writing on the film-rating website Douban, said the censorship was “disrespectful to the original work and another challenge to the audience’s tolerance”, adding: “They want our money but won’t show us the complete version. It’s also disrespectful to the LGBT community.”
The People’s Republic of China brought in new censorship in 2016, under the Gender Principles for the Production of TV Drama Content, which bans “all depictions of gay people on television”. The policy also applies to films and other media.
While content depicting LGBTQ+ people is either edited or banned entirely, this is believed to be the first instance where AI has been used to enforce the censorship, although regulatory body The China Film Administration has not commented. The Chinese distributors have now halted plans for a full release of the film, which also stars Dave Franco, as criticism of the change has grown.
In recent months, police in China have arrested at least 30 people for writing and publishing gay erotica – known as danmei – online. The charges carry penalties of more than 10 years imprisonment. Two years ago, officials removed a song with LGBTQ+ themes from the concert set list of Taiwanese pop star A-Mei, and security guards forced fans to remove rainbow symbols and clothing.
However, last month a survey revealed that more than half of Chinese citizens support the right of LGBTQ+ people to be treated with dignity and respect.
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