Quality over quantity: China’s AI microdrama producers battle viewer fatigue
Por Minxiao Chang — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Artificial intelligence Tech Policy Quality over quantity: China’s AI microdrama producers battle viewer fatigue
Challenge has shifted from making videos at low cost to standing out in a market saturated with lookalike productions, creators say
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Minxiao Chang in Shenzhen Published: 10:00am, 4 Oct 2026
Two decades after stepping away from the spotlight, iconic actress Joey Wong made an unexpected return to the screen – not through a traditional production, but via artificial intelligence-powered reconstruction.
In a two-minute video by NetEase this summer, Wong, one of the most well-known actresses of the 1980s and 90s, had some of her most celebrated roles recreated, including the beautiful ghost in A Chinese Ghost Story and an alluring snake demon in Green Snake.
The revival is just the tip of an industry-wide pivot, as AI-generated short dramas have dominated the burgeoning mini-drama market. Known for the fast-paced storylines and frequent twists, microdramas typically run just a few minutes per episode.
More than 90 per cent of the 430,000 microdramas launched online in the first eight months of the year were AI-generated, according to the National Radio and Television Administration, China’s broadcasting regulator.
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