AI Revolutionizes the Film and Television Landscape

"This marks the first instance of an AI-generated drama topping Hongguo's charts. We're witnessing history unfold daily," Wang Xiaoshu, founder of Bingtian Short Dramas, lamented in a WeChat Moments post.

"The Advent of Bodhi in the Human-AI Version" narrates the tale of Bodhi Patriarch resurrecting Sun Wukong, with the master and disciple embarking on a quest for vengeance. Despite being a "wild adaptation" of "Journey to the West," the drama skyrocketed to the top of Hongguo's trending list within two weeks of its release.

The dominance of "The Advent of Bodhi in the Human-AI Version" underscores AI production's increasing encroachment on the audience share of human-crafted short dramas. Conversely, the plight of human short dramas is becoming more evident, particularly for vertical-screen formats, which are experiencing a decline in production volume, actor remuneration, and recent reports of unpaid wages by producers.

01. The Meteoric Rise of AI Short Dramas

The short drama industry generally classifies AI human simulation dramas under the broader umbrella of "comic dramas." As previously discussed by "Qujie Business" in the article "Behind Hongguo's Adjustments: Is AI Revolutionizing the Short Drama Industry?", the hallmark of comic dramas is their reliance on AI creation. Data from "DateEye Research Institute" reveals that while the cost of high-quality comic dramas was still 1,500-2,000 yuan per minute in early 2025, by the latter half of the year, some costs had plummeted to 800-1,000 yuan per minute.

In February of this year, Hongguo Short Dramas unveiled a new incentive policy for comic dramas, with AI human simulation dramas offering the highest revenue share coefficient at 60%. The convergence of cost reductions, platform support shifts, and the elimination of guarantees for human dramas has prompted many small and medium-sized production companies to pivot towards comic drama production.

Image Source: Weibo Screenshot

AI human simulation stands out as the fastest-growing segment within comic dramas. WeTrue data indicates that in the final week of March this year, AI human simulation accounted for over 85% of the top 100 comic drama rankings.

With an influx of new entrants into the market, increased supply has heightened the likelihood of producing hits. Today, a substantial number of short drama producers can adeptly utilize AI tools to craft relatively coherent plots and visuals. Although some AI human simulation dramas still exhibit rudimentary flaws like "mismatched head and body directions," as production experience accumulates, the watchability of "human simulations" is also on the rise.

"Qujie Business" has observed that since April, one to two of the top five dramas on Hongguo's overall chart have frequently been AI human simulation dramas, spanning both male- and female-oriented genres.

Image Source: Hongguo Short Drama Screenshot

AI technology has empowered content creators to transcend thematic constraints, filling the void left by human short dramas in genres such as fantasy, sci-fi, immortal xianxia, and post-apocalyptic settings—areas fraught with high production costs and risks for human dramas but where AI excels. Consequently, AI human simulation dramas have garnered audiences beyond traditional short drama enthusiasts. The popularity of "The Advent of Bodhi in the Human-AI Version" can also be attributed to its special effects and cinematography meeting the aesthetic preferences of certain viewers, particularly men and middle-aged and elderly demographics.

Some short drama viewers have remarked, "Initially, I was unsure who the target audience for AI human simulation dramas was since I never watched them. Later, I discovered my husband and my mom were avid viewers of comic dramas. My husband, who used to only read novels, now watches numerous fantasy and post-apocalyptic AI human simulation dramas."

Moreover, AI generation can mitigate certain production risks. Following the National Radio and Television Administration's tightened regulations on children's micro-short dramas this year, platforms ceased accepting scripts featuring cute babies. Some human simulation short dramas now employ AI to generate compliant cute baby images, circumventing the risks associated with filming minors. During the recent Qingming Festival holiday, "Tricking Me into a Good Rebirth? Fine, Don't Regret It," a drama about a celestial progeny descending to earth, ranked among the top three on Hongguo's trending list. The protagonist, the cute baby "Shi Ye," was AI-generated.

Image Source: Xiaohongshu Screenshot

Recently, Seedance 2.0 officially commenced public testing, with previously restricted API calls now accessible to all. Enterprises with guaranteed contracts can also enjoy additional perks, such as copyright compliance authorization and real human likeness authorization. With enhanced productivity, works more fluid and realistic than "The Advent of Bodhi in the Human-AI Version" are poised to emerge, and the boundaries between AI human simulation dramas and human short dramas may become increasingly indistinct.

02. Are Human Actors Facing a Daunting Challenge?

However, while AI offers significant conveniences to producers, it also raises infringement concerns for actors and even ordinary individuals.

During model training, vast amounts of publicly available images and videos are scraped from the internet. Producers fine-tune virtual avatars by utilizing reference images (based on one or more real human pictures) and keywords, effortlessly creating virtual images highly reminiscent of real people's voices and appearances.

Recently, actors such as Gong Jun, Jackson Yee, and Yang Zi have publicly issued statements to safeguard their rights, opposing the unauthorized use of their likenesses and voices in AI short dramas for profit. Beyond high-profile celebrities, some self-media bloggers have also reported that the short drama "Peach Hairpin" used their likeness features without authorization to create a villain character.

Image Source: Weibo Screenshot

Platforms have taken down works implicated in such infringements. Industry insiders have revealed to the media that this gray area is prevalent in current AI human simulation short dramas. In these ambiguous zones, many operations can be interpreted in various ways, and producers often defend themselves by claiming the avatars "just look similar" or "lack sufficient evidence" when questioned. With most companies operating without authorization, whether content infringes often hinges on "whether it's been discovered" or "whether someone pursues it."

Ironically, these AI avatars derived from real people not only subject actors to infringement issues but also usurp acting opportunities that once belonged to them. "Qujie Business" has learned that nowadays, except for top-tier influential stars, many short drama actors are grappling with unemployment and pay cuts.

An actor with 100,000 Douyin followers recounted that while they were constantly engaged in filming vertical-screen short dramas in the latter half of last year—starting makeup for the next project the same day they finished the previous one—the number of vertical-screen projects has plummeted since the Chinese New Year, and they haven't joined a new set since.

Even if they secure roles, many actors struggle to earn the same pay as last year. "Qujie Business" has learned that some supporting actors in vertical-screen dramas have seen their daily pay dwindle from 1,000-2,000 yuan to 400-500 yuan; extras' daily pay has fallen from 150 yuan to two digits. Some popular actors have even encountered situations where producers withhold payment. In February, actor Bai Fangwen, with over 500,000 Douyin followers, held up a sign saying "Give Me My Hard-Earned Money" during a livestream to demand payment from the "Side Hustle 2" production team.

Image Source: Douyin Screenshot

The utilization of AI technology for "cost reduction and efficiency enhancement" is not confined to short dramas; long-form dramas are also embracing it. Some film and television companies have introduced AI actors. Youku Media has crafted AI dramas like "Qinling Bronze Mysteries" tailored for its AI actors, Qin Lingyue and Lin Xiyan. Although the actors were initially criticized for looking "generic," a Youku Media representative stated that their appearances were entirely based on character requirements without deliberately referencing any real people.

The wave of AI-generated content has fully permeated the film and television industry. In the future, it may become commonplace for screenwriters and directors to sit in front of computers, directing AI-generated characters in performances. Both long-form and short dramas are undergoing profound adjustments, and for the foreseeable future, the ecosystems of human and AI works will continue to infiltrate and collide, gradually establishing new divisions of labor and boundaries.

In the eyes of most industry professionals, while AIGC is developing rapidly, live-action works still possess irreplaceable value. Hongguo Short Dramas recently announced that it would persist with its incentive policies and investments in human short dramas. Leading short drama brands like Jiuzhou and Shanhai Short Dramas have also stated that they will continue live-action projects but further deepen their high-quality strategies.

Ultimately, AI is merely a tool for efficiency and empowerment; the principle of content being king will remain unaltered. Technology cannot spontaneously generate compelling narratives. When everyone can create visually stunning content, solid screenplays and genuine emotional resonance will become the rare commodities. Whether AI or human, what ultimately captivates audiences is always that sincere storytelling prowess.