丘比特的圈套

AI opens new creative doors, raises new concerns across China’s screen industry_我的网站

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    Staff members work on a short-form drama in Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang Province, on July 21, 2026. Photo: VCG
Open Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, and AI-generated short dramas are hard to miss.
The stories span almost every genre familiar to Chinese audiences, from fantasy and immortal cultivation to urban romance and period tales.
The biggest difference is that the actors, settings and even many of the visual elements are generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
One of the latest hits is The Inverse Zone, an original mystery-thriller about monsters that has been dubbed an AI version of Stranger Things. The series has released three episodes so far, each receiving more than 1 million likes on Douyin.
Yet the team behind it consists of just three people, all born after 2000.
While Hollywood is still catching up with the short drama boom, China's short-drama industry is already moving into the AI era.
For many young creators, AI is not just another tool - it is a door that small teams could never have opened before.
"We've always wanted to make professional film and television content, with visual language, complete storytelling and a cinematic feel," Hu Hai, a member of the team behind The Inverse Zone, told the Global Times. "But the cost and barriers of live-action production were too high. Small teams had little chance to realize high-quality film and television projects."
As increasingly capable domestic AI models emerged, that door began to open. "The maturity of AI creative tools made us see new possibilities," Hu said.
The explosive growth of AI-generated short dramas is a double-edged sword: It opens doors for some, but leaves many in the industry uncertain about what comes next. Many actors who once benefited from the short-drama boom are now finding work increasingly scarce, with some turning to other professions. Meanwhile, the use of celebrities likenesses in AI-generated content (AIGC) has ignited a fresh wave of debate.
Where is the industry headed next? Global Times reporters spoke with AI creators, short-drama actors and industry experts about the opportunities and uncertainties ahead.
         Screenshots from the AI-generated microdrama The Inverse Zone Photo: Courtesy of Hu Hai
Lowering barriers

Hu studied directing and filmmaking in college. His team initially focused on short comedy videos, a field with relatively low production costs and less barriers to entry. But after years of producing this type of content, they eventually reached a creative plateau. That began to shift as more advanced AI tools came onto the scene.
To produce The Inverse Zone, the team used domestic video-generation models Seedance 2.0 and 2.5. The series took nearly two months to prepare, including world-building, character design and establishing a consistent visual style. "Seedance is the best in the world. It's extremely advanced. There's no model in Europe or the US that is more useful than it," Hu told the Global Times.
The technology does not mean production is effortless, however.
According to Hu, a typical episode costs around 4,000 to 5,000 yuan ($593-$741) to produce, while episodes involving large-scale scenes, complex special effects or demanding lighting and rendering can cost more than 10,000 yuan.
The team used AI for image generation, basic voice work and material rendering, while humans remained responsible for the script, character development, cinematography and post-production.
"The soul of the entire series is still controlled by people," Hu said. "All the key creative decisions are manually adjusted and repeatedly reviewed."
Ya Cen, operations head of AI video platform LibTV, told the Global Times that the AI short-drama ecosystem is now characterized by small teams, high productivity and strong individual styles. "The most direct value of AIGC is that it has lowered the geographic and financial barriers to film and television production," she added.
    Screenshots from the AI-generated microdrama The Inverse Zone Photo: Courtesy of Hu Hai
Actors in AI era
Yet the rise of AI short dramas is also creating new tensions.
AI-generated characters are now building fanbases, landing brand endorsements, and being described as the next generation of digital stars. At the same time, many celebrities including Taiwan actress Joey Wong have reportedly given permission for their younger likenesses to be used in AIGC.
The impact extends beyond celebrity likenesses. It is also being felt by people who once benefited from China's booming live-action short-drama industry.
The short-drama boom created opportunities for large numbers of actors, many of whom could quickly become recognizable faces. However, as AI-generated productions expand, some performers are finding fewer acting opportunities and turning to other professions.
Chongqing native Luo Xinyuan, 21, has experienced that shift firsthand.
She spent more than a year in Hengdian, East China's Zhejiang Province as a short-drama actress. Since May, she has worked at a scenic area playing Huang Rong, a character from a classic Chinese martial arts novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes.
"When short dramas were at their peak, there were lots of fast-paced, feel-good stories," Luo told the Global Times. "But that kind of content is difficult to sustain. Without richer and more meaningful stories, the pressure from AI short dramas will make things even harder."
For many short-drama actors, the disruption is likely to be structural rather than an immediate wholesale replacement, Zhang Peng, a cultural researcher and associate professor at Nanjing Normal University, told the Global Times. The question of celebrity likenesses may prove even more complicated.
Zhang warned that unrestricted authorization could raise concerns over control and revenue sharing. Without clearer rules, the technology could put further pressure on ordinary actors.
The next stage may not be a choice between humans and machines, but a new production model in which the two increasingly work together.
For creators such as Hu, that possibility is already here.
"AI has finally given young creators like us the opportunity to realize the film and television dreams we've had for years," he said.
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北京时间4月21日，伴随北京在京城德比G4再赢一场，他们在系列赛周琦缺席3场与曾凡博缺席1场情况下，依然能够先输一场后连赢三场，总分3-1逆转展现出极强的韧性晋级季后赛四强。至于此前山西总分3-0横扫广东，北京与山西会师CBA半决赛争夺总决赛名额。

在季后赛次轮比赛，本赛季最大黑马山西表现神勇，他们连赢三场总分3-0横扫11冠王广东，尤其是首场比赛狂赢42分，送给广东队史季后赛最大输球分差纪录。山西3场系列赛合计狂胜广东75分，展现出超强的竞争力，山西晋级季后赛四强追平队史最佳战绩纪录。

至于京城德比则是“伤病”成为主要话题之一，且双方均是存在不同程度的伤病问题。

三 | 北京内线核心周琦因为眼部受伤，他此前接受了眼睛结膜修复手术，且仅仅只在第二场复出打了一场。

北京在首场98-105先丢一场，但随后北控以106-100和105-102连续两场险胜，从而连赢两场总分2-1反超夺得赛点。

如今在第四场与北控的德比系列赛，北京继续缺席内线核心周琦，且曾凡博复出后状态一般，在场上存在感不强。北控则是迎来刘晓宇复出，且廖三宁也是连续两场能够出战，因而双方的实力存在此消彼长的效应。

不过北京在客场打得极为顽强，陈盈骏与杰曼双枪给力表现，引领北京上半场53-47领先北控6分。及至下半场比赛，北京逐步压制北控扩大20分优势，且挡住北控反扑追分。

四 | 北京再赢一场，从而连赢三场总分3-1逆转，成功晋级季后赛四强。

北京与山西会师季后赛半决赛，在本赛季常规赛阶段，北京对阵山西两场全败被横扫，但两场比赛均是惜败，分别是北京101-106和北京108-110惜败，两场比赛合计只输7分。双方在季后赛半决赛对阵，山西拥有主场优势，谁能够晋级今年的CBA总决赛令人期待。

（文/醉卧浮生）。

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