AI Microdramas Surge in China, Leaving Young People Without Quality Content?

JAKARTA — Chinese actress Fan Bingbing has criticised the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI)-based microdramas in China. She said the boom was inundating young people in the country with low-quality content.

She shared her views at a press conference at the 2026 Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), where she was promoting Wayne Wang’s film Diary of a Mad Old Man and Ivan Tan’s short film She Said.

“I feel that young people in China are not getting enough quality artistic nourishment, such as that offered by films made by human beings,” Fan said, according to Variety on Friday (9 October 2026).

She said the emotions and expressions of human actors could not be replicated by AI. Fan cited director Lee Chang-dong’s film Possible Love, saying its performances demonstrated acting abilities that AI could not replace.

“The performances in Possible Love cannot be conveyed or replicated by AI. Human actors have powerful emotions and expressions,” Fan said.

Microdrama production in China reportedly surged in early 2026. About 128,000 microdramas were released in the first quarter, nearly four times the number in the same period a year earlier.

China’s broadcasting regulator recorded 430,000 microdramas released online in the first eight months of 2026. More than 90 per cent were made using AI.

This production differs from films or series involving human actors that use AI as an assisting tool. In fully AI-generated microdramas, the visuals are created using the technology without conventional filming or performances by human actors.

However, the proliferation of AI microdramas is now contributing to viewer fatigue, making it harder for producers to meet viewership targets. One reason is the similarity of storylines from one AI microdrama to another.