SHANGHAI — Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming central to China’s film and television production, with more than 95% of new microdramas in the first quarter of 2026 being AI-generated, a dramatic rise from near zero a year earlier. This shift is moving AI from the margins to the mainstream, impacting everything from short vertical dramas to feature films destined for cinemas.

Mark Wachholz, a Berlin filmmaker, collaborated with Chinese director Hou Zuxin to create an AI-generated short film, exploring whether audiences can judge AI-made films on their own merits rather than as AI productions. Wachholz told CNA, “Can we find a bridge … and see if they are not perceived as AI movies, but as movies?”

Gong Yu, CEO of streaming giant iQiyi, predicted that fully AI-generated feature-length films could debut as soon as summer 2026, with over half of leading film and television works potentially AI-generated within five years, according to an interview with China Entrepreneur.

An April report from the China Netcasting Services Association revealed that about 122,000 titles—over 95% of new microdramas—were AI-generated. Junjun, a producer at a Beijing-based company now focused solely on AI microdramas, said one AI-generated series costs around 100,000 yuan and can go from script approval to launch in under a month.

However, the rise of AI has disrupted traditional live-action crews. A survey by tech-commerce outlet Ebrun found that more than 60% of live-action crews in the microdrama sector quietly halted work after the Spring Festival, attributing this to a glut of titles, the removal of platform subsidies, and AI’s role as “not the direct killer, but the last straw.”

Sun Bin, vice-dean of the School of Drama, Film and Television at the Communication University of China, stated that AI has permanently changed drama production, describing it as a rebuilding of the industry’s production model rather than a temporary hype bubble.

Filmmakers like Can, an AI user, highlighted the accessibility AI tools provide, saying, “Now I can borrow AI tools and make the film I want all by myself,” and noted that “People who can't draw but have good ideas can create images.” She described AI as “just more tools we can choose.”

As AI continues to reshape China’s screen industry, questions remain about its ability to replicate human creativity and emotional depth in storytelling.

Sources