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| No Actors, No Big Budget, Massive Traffic: China’s AI Short Drama Explosion Explained (Photo: Weibo) |
AI short dramas have quietly become one of the most talked-about digital content trends in China this year. Produced for as little as $275–$290, yet pulling in hundreds of millions of views, these projects are reshaping how short-form storytelling is created, funded, and consumed across major platforms.
What started as a niche experiment has now evolved into one of 2025’s fastest-growing segments in China’s short drama market. And the numbers? Absolutely wild.
One standout title, Doomsday Cold Wave: I Have a Mobile Fortress (末日寒潮我有移动堡垒我怕谁), reportedly surged by 230 million views, topping related ranking charts.
Another viral entry, Immortal Execution Platform AI Live Action (斩仙台AI真人版), climbed to trending lists within just two days and smashed past 100 million views in six days.
It’s not just small studios getting in on the action either.
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Major tech giants including ByteDance and Tencent are accelerating their push into AI-powered short drama production, viewing hyper-realistic virtual characters as a serious traffic magnet.
The growth curve across 2025 has been dramatic. In January, only four fully AI-generated short dramas made ranking lists. By November, that number had jumped to 217 titles.
That kind of surge doesn’t happen without a clear advantage. And here, the edge is simple: cost.
Traditional short dramas require actors, production crews, locations, costumes, makeup, accommodation, equipment and endless logistics.
AI short dramas cut nearly all of that out. Creators input keywords describing character appearance, visual style, and story background. Within a short turnaround, virtual actors are generated and ready to star in genres ranging from historical epics to modern thrillers and fantasy sagas.
Actor salaries, location rentals, and large-scale crew expenses are practically removed from the equation.
Production Costs Can Drop to Around $275–$290. Dialogue can be generated with AI voice tools that adjust tone and pacing instantly. Sets and props are digitally built. Even script development can be assisted by generative systems.
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This is why the phrase “a few thousand yuan can create a viral hit” is being thrown around across the industry.
A 90-minute AI short drama project can reportedly be completed for around 2,000 yuan, equivalent to roughly $275–$290. Previously, similar productions could exceed 10,000 yuan (around $1,400).
Another case frequently cited is The King of Feng Shui (风水之王), an AI realistic short drama said to have reached 370 million total views, generating approximately 1.7 million yuan (around $235,000) in revenue.
The production structure is lean too. A high-quality project can reportedly be handled by just four to five people, covering AI tool subscriptions, script refinement, editing, and post-production.
Technologies such as Seedance 2.0 are also being credited with increasing usable output rates for 15-second clips to around 90 percent, compared to an earlier average closer to 20 percent. That means fewer retakes, faster turnaround, and shorter revision cycles.
For independent creators and small teams, this shift is massive. Entry barriers are lower, capital requirements are reduced, and production cycles are dramatically faster. In theory, anyone with a strong idea and technical know-how can enter the market.
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But the boom isn’t without debate.
Many viewers have pointed out that some AI short dramas follow repetitive storytelling formulas. Emotional depth can feel limited, and certain character expressions lack subtle nuance. Concerns about originality and copyright are also being discussed as generative tools evolve rapidly.
Some viewers are impressed by the visual realism and speed of production. They see it as the future of digital entertainment, especially for fast-paced mobile consumption. Others argue that while visuals are improving, strong storytelling and human creativity still matter more than pure efficiency.
Industry observers also warn that if the market relies only on low budgets and trend-driven plots, the current surge could risk becoming a short-term traffic bubble.
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The real test? Whether creators can combine cost efficiency with compelling narratives, emotional resonance, and fresh visual ideas.
One thing is clear: AI short dramas are no longer a side experiment — they are now a serious force in China’s content economy.
So what do you think — is this the next evolution of digital storytelling, or just a temporary trend riding on novelty? Would you watch a full-length AI-generated drama if the story was genuinely good?