AI Video Displaces Human Actors in China's Microdrama Industry

In China, microdramas, known as duanju, consist of brief vertical videos lasting less than two minutes, often spanning 20 to 100 episodes per narrative, and have generated approximately 700,000 jobs. Key production centers are located in Guangzhou and Zhengzhou. Since the launch of ByteDance's Seedance 2.0 in February, there has been a notable rise in the use of AI-generated videos, which have gained acceptance among viewers. Director Qingge Gao observes that audiences are unfazed by the absence of human actors. This trend has led to a significant decrease in production time and costs. Studio revenues have plummeted by 70%, and actor Li Dazhi's pay has been cut in half. American actress Anina Net describes the shift as abrupt. The article raises concerns about the potential impact on Hollywood, highlighting that AI-generated advertisements are prevalent in China, while SAG-AFTRA pushes for stricter regulations on digital replicas.