I. A Popular Summary of the Core Content
This article serves as a sobering reminder to the currently highly hyped AI in film and television industry: Over the past two and a half years, the AI in this field has claimed to have achieved several “industry milestones” every few months, each time causing the entire media sector to surge in stock prices. These milestones have included Sora generating movie-like videos, the creation of the world’s first long AI film, the commercialization of AI tools, the emergence of the first AI-powered actor, and the airing of an AI-driven drama on Hunan Satellite TV’s prime time slot. In total, there have been five “0-to-1 breakthroughs” that no one else has achieved. However, to this day, there hasn’t been a single work that has managed to capture the attention of ordinary viewers or make them empathize with the characters. The entire industry remains in its infancy, still focused on showing off its technological capabilities rather than on creating content that can generate real revenue and develop into a mature industry.
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II. A Detailed Analysis of the Content
1. The “Code” Behind the Five Stock Market Booms: The Focus Has Always Been on the “First” Milestone, Not on the Content
If you look back at the instances when AI in film and television drove up stock prices over the past two years, you’ll notice a peculiar pattern: Each time the market surged, it wasn’t because of a truly remarkable movie that everyone talked about, but because of something that no one else in the world or China had done before.
- In 2024, when Sora was introduced, people learned that a few typed words could produce movie-quality visuals, and media stocks rose by 6% in a single day.
- In 2025, Kuaishou released a 3-hour long AI film, and people exclaimed, “AI can now create complete dramas.”
- In 2026, with the launch of Seedance 2.0, AI tools became capable of generating revenue by selling membership to creators and businesses, leading to claims of a “closed-loop commercialization.”
- Later, when the AI actor Fang Taizi appeared in a drama that drew over 200 million views, people said, “AI now has its own stars.”
- With the airing of “The Journey to the West” on TV, another milestone was declared: “AI has entered the mainstream.”
Each time, a technological gimmick preceded the stock price surge, only for the excitement to fade without leaving any lasting impact. It’s like a new restaurant down the street that never promotes the quality of its food but instead hangs banners claiming to be the first in town to use electricity for cooking or the first to do without a chef. While these claims attract customers, no one returns to dine there regularly, and the restaurant never becomes a successful long-term business.
2. Five “From-Nothing-to-Something” Achievements, Yet No Blockbusters: The Entire Industry Has Fucked Up the Priorities
There’s a surreal phenomenon in the AI film and television industry: Everyone is competing on the degree of technological advancement, not on the quality of the content. The key performance indicators (KPIs) focus on things like “can AI generate a 100-minute video entirely,” “can AI create actors without real people,” and “can AI-driven dramas be aired on TV.” All resources are directed towards showcasing technology, without anyone considering more fundamental questions: Should a character’s expression convey frustration or anger when saying a particular line? Is the plot too predictable, and could it be enriched with small details from everyday life?
As the article points out, all current AI-driven works are either merely demonstrations of technology (like a painter showing off a new pigment, with the focus on the pigment itself rather than the story) or are formulaic, predictable short dramas. Viewers don’t want to see how impressive the technology is; they want a story that moves them emotionally. By treating technology as the ultimate goal rather than a tool for storytelling, the industry is unable to produce blockbuster works that can attract and retain audiences.
3. Don’t Believe the Anxiety That “AI Will Replace Film and Television Professionals”: AI Hasn’t Even Reached the Core Barriers of the Industry
A few years ago, many predicted that AI would lead to the unemployment of screenwriters, actors, and editors, and that traditional film and television companies would disappear. In reality, these claims were just marketing gimmicks. While AI can create images of characters in motion, it doesn’t understand why those characters are moving—whether they’re running to catch up to a child’s parent-teacher meeting or angrily fleeing from a boss. No matter how realistic the AI actors are, they lack real-life experiences and emotions, making it impossible for them to portray the complexities of human behavior.
Companies that are actually making money from AI in film and television, such as the AI tool provider KelingAI, are helping real creators by improving efficiency (e.g., saving time on special effects or reducing advertising costs). The most valuable aspects of traditional film and television production are the creators’ perception of life and their understanding of storytelling, which AI has yet to even touch upon.
4. The Real Breakthrough for AI in Film and Television Is Still Far Away: It Will Only Happen When Viewers Forget It’s AI-Powered
The article provides a vivid example: In 1895, when the Lumière brothers filmed “The Arrival of the Train,” the audience was so amazed by the moving visuals that they ran in all directions, ignoring the story itself. It took 20 years for cinema to evolve from a novelty to a true art form, with advancements in editing and cinematography leading to classic works. Today’s AI in film and television is still at the “arrival of the train” stage—everyone’s excitement stems from the novelty of AI, not from the quality of the content. Each stock market surge is based on the anticipation of future possibilities. It’s like buying a new seed before it even sprouts and immediately pricing it at a high value for its potential yield. The real breakthrough will only come when AI in film and television crosses the threshold from its infancy to maturity, a day when the industry stops using “fully AI-generated content” as a selling point.