AI dramas are growing in popularity, changing the entertainment world in China

Each episode is just one to three minutes long, with a surprise at the end. And as soon as that episode ends, the audience's interest in knowing the next episode increases. Micro-dramas have quickly become popular in China, focusing on this habit of smartphone users. And artificial intelligence (AI) has brought new momentum to this industry. With the help of technology, the country is now creating a multi-billion dollar market by producing a large number of dramas in less time and at lower cost.

According to a report by Your Story, many production companies in China are currently using generative AI in almost every step of drama production. Story writing, storyboarding, video production, voice acting, editing, and post-production are all being worked on with AI. According to various industry-related reports, the use of AI has reduced the time to produce a drama from several months to a few weeks. At the same time, production costs have also decreased by about 80 to 90 percent.

In January 2026, an average of 470 AI-generated micro-dramas were released in China every day. In March, several thousand new AI-powered titles were added to various streaming and short video platforms in one month. And AI behavior is changing the story.

Experts say that China's micro-drama market revenue could exceed 120 billion yuan in 2026. This revenue is likely to surpass the country's cinema-based box office. The demand for these dramas is also growing in international markets outside China. They are rapidly gaining popularity in the US and Southeast Asian markets with subtitles in different languages, dubbing, and stories tailored to local audiences.