AI-generated micro dramas making waves in China

We've all seen AI-generated photos and videos. Now, AI is taking over yet another industry – short dramas.

One of the hottest recent releases, "The Mystery of Greater Khingan Range," is China's first fully AI-generated fantasy adventure drama. In just three days, it racked up over 40 million views on Douyin.

Directed by rising AIGC (AI-generated content) creator Ding Kuan, the drama follows hunter Biaozi and his team as they venture deep into Northeast China's Xing'an Ridge in search of supplies.

The show blends AI-generated visuals with Northeast China's signature mystical folklore, offering a mix of adventure, suspense, and historical elements from the 1960s.

Compared to earlier AI-generated content, the production takes a major step forward in visual appeal.

'It avoids the unsettling 'uncanny valley' effect that plagued past AI dramas, improving significantly in lighting, lip-syncing, and motion physics than previous AICG content,' was one viewer's comment.

The drama also made headlines as the first AI-generated short drama with a paid model. On Douyin, the first five episodes are free, but the remaining six require 59 Douyin Diamonds (5.9 yuan) to unlock.

Despite the paywall, the show has already garnered over 44 million views.

AI and micro dramas: a match made for the future

Short dramas are booming in China. During Chinese New Year, more than 400 new short dramas were launched across short video platforms such as Douyin, Kuaishou, Hongguo Short Dramas, long-form video platforms, and satellite TV channels, Jiemian News reported.

Even major tech figures are jumping in, with 360 Tech's CEO, Zhou Hongyi, recently launching a 60-episode AI-generated short drama, written entirely by AI, it's about a futuristic female robot traveling back in time.

However, after its debut on February 25, viewers were less than impressed, calling it "cringey" and "hard to watch."

Zhou, however, remains optimistic. He sees AI-generated short dramas as a key tool for promoting his company's AI technology.

He said the short drama was the first of its kind scripted by DeepSeek. Inspired by "The Terminator," the story depicts a future dominated by AI, which is hacked by his team. In response, the AI sends a shape-shifting female robot (played by Huang Yi) to assassinate him.

"Short dramas are the future of corporate marketing," he said on Weibo. "My second AI drama will be powered by 360's own Nano AI, significantly cutting production costs while surpassing traditional low-budget effects."

Tech giants race to dominate the market

Last year, OpenAI's Sora paved the way for AI-generated videos, soon followed by tools such as Pika, Runway, and Kuaishou's Kling. These advancements have fueled an explosion of AI-driven storytelling.

On February 18, China's Kunlun Tech launched SkyReels-V1, China's first AI video model designed specifically for short drama production. It also introduced SkyReels-A1, an advanced motion control algorithm capable of generating hyper-realistic facial expressions and over 400 natural character actions.

AI is rapidly transforming the industry. With shorter production times and lower costs, AI-generated short dramas are becoming a new battleground for platforms.

Douyin's push into AI short dramas

Douyin is going all in on AI-generated content. It recently wrapped up the first phase of its Short Drama in Starlight campaign, encouraging creators with incentives like millions of views and cash prizes of up to 50,000 yuan (US$6,900).

During the campaign, "The Mystery of Greater Khingan Range" emerged as a surprise hit, drawing over 40 million views in three days. While its storyline is nothing new, its AI-powered visuals made it stand out.

A market worth billions

The market for short dramas is expected to reach 50.44 billion yuan (US$6.96 billion) this year, a 34.9 percent increase, surpassing box office revenue for the first time. The market is projected to grow another 15 percent in 2025, according to the 2024 China Short Drama Industry White Paper.

AI is playing a crucial role in this growth. Reports suggest that with AI tools, some teams can produce 100 episodes in just 15 days, with a per-episode cost of just 5,000 yuan.

Beyond cost savings, AI is also reshaping storytelling itself, offering today's social media audiences an entirely new viewing experience.

From fantasy thrillers to sci-fi experiments, AI-powered short dramas are here to stay – and they're only just getting started.