China has removed 68,000 short films from its video platforms this year. Regulators said the videos contained harmful content, broke copyright rules, or did not suit children. More than 90 percent of the removed films were created with AI. Short dramas are widely popular in the country. Viewer accounts for this genre have passed 800 million, and the market is worth billions.
AI brings both opportunity and risk to the short-drama industry. The technology cuts production costs and raises efficiency for producers. In just half a year, the cost of one minute dropped from 5,000 yuan to a few hundred. However, every video generated by AI must now carry a clear, visible label. One AI series based on a famous classic has already drawn nearly 300 million views.