China’s booming ultra-short drama industry is being reshaped by the rapid rise of AI-generated video. In Zhengzhou, one of the country’s major production hubs, directors, actors, crews, and film bases that once fueled the industry’s explosive growth are now facing shrinking budgets, fewer shoots, and an uncertain future. Meanwhile, in other cities like Wuxi, AI studios are embracing the same technology to produce dramas faster and at a fraction of the traditional cost. As the two worlds increasingly converge, the question is no longer whether AI will change filmmaking, but what role humans will have in it.

Additional reporting: He Qitong; story editors: Apurva and Qi Ya; video editor: Lü Xiao