“AI臉 生理性厭惡”登上熱搜！什么是恐怖谷效應？

近期，“對AI臉感到不適”相關話題接連沖上社交平臺熱搜。

AI-generated faces may look flawless, but many people say something about them still feels "off". As the topic continues to trend on social media, the Beijing Science Center points to the "uncanny valley" — a psychological phenomenon describing the discomfort people feel when something appears almost, but not quite, human.

uncanny /?n?k?ni/: 神秘的; 可怕的; 怪異的; 危險的

打開短視頻平臺刷微短劇，連續刷幾部后，主角個個是高顱頂、大眼窄鼻、冷白皮，精致得挑不出錯，可表情僵硬空洞，看著看著心里一陣發毛，關掉手機卻說不清到底哪里不對。

網友評論

這種說不清道不明的“不舒服”到底是什么？為什么會讓人不適？

北京科學中心近日發文稱，這種“似人非人”的違和感，便是“恐怖谷理論”。

1970年，機器人學家森政弘提出：當仿生物體的擬人程度持續提升時，人類對其的好感度會同步上升；但當擬人度接近真人，卻又在某些關鍵動態特征（如眼神變化、面部肌肉聯動）上出現可被感知的偏差時，人類的好感會驟然下跌，產生疏離、排斥甚至不適的負面情緒。這個好感急劇下墜的區段，就是“恐怖谷”（uncanny valley）。

The concept was introduced in 1970 by Japanese robotics professor Masahiro Mori. He proposed that as robots or artificial figures become more humanlike, people's emotional response generally becomes more positive. However, when a figure looks almost identical to a real person but still contains subtle imperfections, people's affinity can suddenly drop, giving way to feelings of unease or even revulsion. Mori described this sharp decline in emotional response as the "uncanny valley".

圖源：數字北京科學中心

真實人類的面容天然帶有個體差異：膚色有自然色差，皮膚有紋理與小瑕疵，五官有獨屬于個人的特征。這些細節正是構成面容真實感的重要組成部分。

AI生成模型訓練數據多偏向端正、高吸引力的面容，加之制作方傾向于選取符合主流審美的生成結果，最終呈現的面孔很容易趨近一種“審美均值”，個體特征被大幅抹平。

One reason AI-generated faces can trigger this effect is the way many AI image-generation models are trained. These models often rely on datasets dominated by symmetrical, conventionally attractive faces. Combined with users' preference for aesthetically pleasing results, AI-generated portraits tend to converge on an idealized, standardized appearance, with many distinctive features smoothed out.

此外，在現階段，算法雖能擬合出符合大眾審美的靜態五官，卻難以復現人類視覺系統高度敏感的生物運動信號——例如瞳孔的細微縮放、表情肌的協同收縮，以及光影隨動作的自然流動。這些動態線索的缺失或失真，會直接觸發大腦的知覺沖突反應。

At the same time, today's AI models are far better at reproducing static facial features than the subtle movements that make a face appear genuinely alive. Small details such as natural eye movements, coordinated facial muscle activity, tiny changes in pupil size, and shifting light and shadow during motion remain difficult to recreate convincingly. When these cues are missing or appear unnatural, the brain detects a mismatch between what it expects and what it sees.

當人的視覺系統捕捉到高度接近真人的臉，卻同時識別出多處不符合真實人類生理特征的細節時，便會產生排斥、不適的情緒反應與回避傾向。

As a result, people may feel uncomfortable when looking at faces that appear almost real but still differ from genuine human expressions and movement in subtle ways.

圖源：數字北京科學中心

對AI臉感到不適該怎么辦？

▌接納不適感。對AI臉感到別扭不是矯情，是人類知覺識別機制的正常反應，不必懷疑自己的感受。

▌拒絕審美趨同。人類對面孔獨特性的敏感具有進化心理學基礎——面部差異幫助我們識別他人、判斷意圖與健康狀態。不必被算法定義的“完美長相”裹挾，接納真實的個體差異，本質上是回歸人類正常的社會認知本能。

Researchers say this sensitivity has deep evolutionary roots. Humans rely on unique facial features to recognize individuals, interpret emotions and intentions, and even make quick judgments about health. Rather than responding to algorithmically generated "perfect" faces, our brains are naturally tuned to the subtle variations found in real human faces.

▌多關注“活人感”視頻。真正打動人心的內容，往往不只是靠無瑕疵的精致，帶有真實細節的角色往往更有生命力。

網友評論

人民日報曾發表評論提醒，AI臉受到厭惡，既應引發反思，也應成為信號：可以利用技術壓縮經費與制作周期，但不能用流水線產能替代藝術性和人文性；AI歸根結底只是輔助性工具，專業的事還是要多交給專業的“人”；生產一百個“差不多”的產品只能爭搶存量，創作一件“被記住”的作品才能創造增量。

真心換真心，觀眾愿意買單的，是被觸動的感覺，它可能來自一句足夠貼近生活的臺詞、一個會心一笑的動作，它的力量叫作真實。AI時代，有血有肉有“破綻”的內容，自有其珍貴。

你經常看AI短劇嗎？一起來評論區分享你的看法。

來源：中國青年報綜合數字北京科學中心、人民日報客戶端、網友評論

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