China’s booming ultra-short drama industry is being reshaped by the rapid rise of AI-generated video. In Zhengzhou, one of the country’s major production hubs, directors, actors, crews, and film bases that once fueled the industry’s explosive growth are now facing shrinking budgets, fewer shoots, and an uncertain future. Meanwhile, in other cities like Wuxi, AI studios are embracing the same technology to produce dramas faster and at a fraction of the traditional cost. As the two worlds increasingly converge, the question is no longer whether AI will change filmmaking, but what role humans will have in it. Additional reporting: Jiang

The country’s breakneck AI transformation of the industry is the kind of disruption that many creatives fear could upend movie-making far beyond China.

AI-powered production is upending China’s ultrashorts market, cutting shoots, budgets, and specialized crew work while forcing companies to find cheaper ways to keep live-action…