China, AI-Generated Dramas Replace Actors

In China's short-drama market, AI is rapidly replacing human actors. It has been reported that 95% of approximately 128,000 short dramas distributed in the first quarter of 2026 were generated by AI, as the fundamental structure of the entertainment industry undergoes transformation.

This shift did not happen overnight. Over the past several years, China's smartphone-based short-drama market has expanded rapidly, creating a growing need to produce large amounts of content quickly and at low cost. With AI video generation technology reaching practical maturity, an environment has emerged where large volumes of video content can be produced without relying on expensive human actors.

Particularly concerning is the position actors find themselves in. According to reporting by the UK's Financial Times, some actors are being asked to provide their voice and facial data to AI tools before being laid off. In effect, workers are being forced into a situation where they "provide materials for creating their own digital copies before losing their jobs," creating an asymmetrical power dynamic disadvantageous to workers.

Against this backdrop, labor disputes surrounding AI technology adoption are on an upward trend. Cases where actors and live streamers (broadcasters engaged in live commerce and similar activities) are replaced by AI are spreading, and similar impacts are appearing not only in entertainment but also in the live commerce sector, where performers directly sell to audiences using their own images.

One reason this trend is significant is the sheer scale. The distribution of 128,000 short dramas in a single quarter is enormous, and the fact that nearly all of them are AI-generated indicates industry-wide transformation that extends far beyond specific genres or individual studios. AI-generated content is transitioning from a niche experimental stage to becoming an established mainstream production method.

Meanwhile, the issues of consent and compensation regarding the use of actors' voices and likenesses in AI training remain in a state where clear regulations have not yet been established. The increase in labor disputes serves as a signal that legal frameworks and industry practices are not keeping pace with the speed of technological adoption. Going forward, attention will focus on how regulatory developments within China and discussions surrounding the rights of actors and creators will unfold.

While the wave of AI-driven content generation is not limited to China, the scale and speed of this phenomenon could serve as a significant precedent that other countries' entertainment industries cannot ignore. The question of how human performers and AI will coexist, and how far the scope of AI replacement will expand, represents a challenge that the entire audiovisual and entertainment industry must confront in the future.