- On October 12, 2026, the South China Morning Post reported that China is expanding its use of generative AI to produce episodic short dramas for communicating policies, promoting history and culture, and enhancing the country’s national image.
- Propaganda agencies and state media are working with content production companies and digital creators to develop AI-generated dramas with engaging storylines for domestic and international audiences.
- According to the China Online Audio-Visual Service Association, 367,000 episodic short dramas were released in the first half of 2026, with more than 1,500 new AI-generated productions each day, accounting for over 74% of the total.
- AI is involved throughout the production process, from adapting stories and writing scripts to generating characters and settings, editing, and post-production, helping reduce costs and accelerate production.
- In May 2026, China’s broadcasting regulator launched a strategy to improve the quality, accessibility, and international reach of short dramas, setting a target of producing 1,000 high-quality works annually.
- The Iron Remembers, produced using AI by the media centre of the People’s Liberation Army, depicts the journey to protect communications equipment during the Long March.
- The Hidden Gambit portrays intelligence operations during the Chinese Civil War. The production was guided by the Anhui provincial government and aims to communicate revolutionary history.
- Set in Beijing, A Story of Town uses comedy to promote civilized urban behaviour, fire safety, and responsible management of public spaces.
- CGTN released The Queen’s Sword to introduce the Shang civilization, dating back approximately 3,000 years, drawing on archaeological materials and historical heritage.
- The Hangzhou government supported Illuminating the Lamp of Spatiotemporal Connection, which uses a time-travel narrative to promote the intangible cultural heritage of rolling lanterns.
- Set in Tibet, The Ideal of a Tree incorporates ethnic culture, environmental protection, and local development achievements in line with Beijing’s communications agenda.
- The rapid expansion has also created problems involving copyright, content plagiarism, unauthorized use of personal likenesses, and low artistic quality.
- According to Chinese media, regulators removed approximately 68,000 short dramas in 2026. Rules requiring clear labelling of AI-generated content came into effect in September.
📌 China is turning generative AI into an industrial-scale content production capability, combining entertainment with policy communication, cultural preservation, and national image-building. With more than 1,500 new AI-generated dramas daily and a target of 1,000 high-quality productions each year, this model demonstrates the potential to reduce costs, broaden public reach, and internationalize content. However, the removal of 68,000 dramas also highlights challenges involving quality, copyright, authenticity, and information control.
