Don’t Be Deceived by the “Obsolete” Label: Bilibili Is Quietly Making Big Moves with AI
Hello everyone, I’m your financial journalist. Lately, there’s been a common opinion online that Bilibili (B站) has become obsolete, that young people no longer prefer it, and that platforms like TikTok, REDnote, or even Hongguo Short Videos are more popular. But today, I’m going to delve into Bilibili’s latest financial reports and developments, and you’ll find that Bilibili isn’t just surviving; it’s actually developing a very unique strength in the wave of AI innovation.
The core idea behind this article is simple: Bilibili hasn’t tried to compete head-to-head with hardcore technology. Instead, it’s used the “community atmosphere” and “user loyalty” it’s built over the years to turn AI into a popular creative tool. It’s transforming from just a place to watch videos into a playground where ordinary people can use AI to create products and ideas.
Let me break down this news into five key points to explain what Bilibili is doing and whether this approach is viable.
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Point 1: Data Debunks the “Obsolescence” Claim: Users Are Staying, and Even More So
First, we need to dispel a misconception: Are Bilibili’s users leaving?
Not at all; they’re actually more loyal.
Here are two key sets of data:
1. More users: In the second quarter of 2026, Bilibili had 117 million active users per day, a 7% increase from the previous year, with a monthly active user base of 371 million.
2. More time spent: Users spend 113 minutes on Bilibili each day, an 8% increase from the same period last year.
In an era where everyone’s attention is divided by short videos, the fact that users spend 8 more minutes on Bilibili each day, with a 14% increase in total time, indicates that they’re not just “skimming” through content; they’re truly immersed in it.
Why?
Because Bilibili’s content ecosystem has changed. People used to watch funny videos and anime; now, they engage in in-depth discussions. Data shows that the number of comments over 100 characters has increased by 67% year-on-year. This means users are not just liking videos; they’re actually interacting with creators (UPs) in the comment sections, sharing thoughts, discussing technology, and talking about life.
Even more impressive is the retention rate: 1.67 million UPs have been posting on Bilibili for five years, and 8.13 million users have been following a particular UP for over 10 years. This kind of long-term relationship is difficult to achieve with algorithmic recommendations on platforms like TikTok. In the AI era, this human touch is Bilibili’s strongest advantage.
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Point 2: AI Is No Longer Just for Geeks; It’s a Ticket to Creative Expression for Everyone
In the past, when we talked about AI, we thought of programmers, algorithm engineers, and code on GitHub. But on Bilibili, AI has become a grassroots phenomenon.
Bilibili organized an “AI Creation Competition” with some interesting results:
- The participants were diverse: Over 60% were non-professional developers, 80% were solo teams, and 88% of the participants had fewer than 10,000 followers.
- Low entry barrier: An UP with 14 years of account history and zero followers won 100,000 yuan with just two AI-related videos.
This shows that AI has lowered the barriers to creation. In the past, making a game or a small software required coding skills, design knowledge, testing, and a team. Now, a student, a designer, or even an ordinary office worker can quickly create a playable demo with AI.
Bilibili’s role has shifted. It’s no longer just a content distribution platform; it’s become an AI creativity incubator. Here, the focus is on who has the most interesting ideas and the most engaging demos, not on who has the best technology. This “de-professionalized” AI community is unique in China.
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Point 3: “Create and Stream Simultaneously”: Bilibili’s Unique AI Development Model
Why does AI creation thrive on Bilibili and not on other platforms? It’s because Bilibili’s video format and community structure perfectly suit the development pace of the AI era.
1. Longer videos are the best medium for AI development: Technology is evolving rapidly, and the traditional “work in isolation and then release” approach is too slow. The new approach is to develop, stream, and get feedback simultaneously.
The viewing time for videos over 5 minutes has increased by 18% on Bilibili. UPs can record the development process, mistakes, and demo presentations directly in videos. Viewers can give feedback in the comments: “This feature doesn’t work well,” “That image lags.” UPs can make immediate changes and then release the updated version.
This “real-time co-creation” allows products to be tested by the market before they’re officially released.
2. The Toy Platform Bridges the Final Gap: In the past, developers had to go through the hassle of uploading to app stores and promoting their products, which was costly. Bilibili’s Toy Platform allows users to try out products directly after watching a video without downloading or installing anything.
This solves two problems:
- For developers: No need to worry about distribution; traffic comes naturally.
- For users: Zero-barrier experience, with immediate feedback in the comments.
3. Users Are Like Product Managers: On Bilibili, users are not just spectators. Data shows that 15% of comments on popular videos come from users’ real needs. UP Dr. W put it well: “Products aren’t imagined; they grow together with users.”
This level of interaction is hard to replicate on other platforms.
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Point 4: A Cool, but Cautionary Note: The Challenges Behind the Success
While it looks promising, as a financial journalist, I must point out three challenges with Bilibili’s AI strategy:
1. Declining ad revenue and uneven distribution: Bilibili’s AI ad revenue growth slowed from 170% in the first quarter to 100% in the second quarter. Why? Because the AI industry’s advertising strategy has shifted from focusing on downloads to capturing user attention. This means only top UPs in tech, programming, and efficiency tools are benefiting. UPs in lifestyle, food, and comedy categories have little competition in this area. The AI benefits are still limited to an elite group.
2. Short-lived products and lack of long-term value: Popular products like “Wange Nian” and “Mao Niang Plan” rely heavily on humor and novelty.
- Short lifespan: Trendy features become outdated quickly, and the products also fade.
- Limited technical depth: Many works are still at a basic creative stage, far from being mature products. AI can help create a quick prototype, but further refinement, adaptation, and commercialization require human effort.
- Difficulty in retaining users: Users come for the novelty, not for long-term use.
3. The “Non-professional” Factor: 64% of the participants have no professional background, which is both an advantage (more creativity) and a disadvantage (limited technical skills).
For example, “Wange Nian” was created in hours, but subsequent testing for different devices and browsers took weeks. AI can’t catch these issues in advance; humans are needed to fix them. Without professional expertise, these products may be short-lived.
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Point 5: Bilibili’s Ultimate Ambition: To Be More Than Another GitHub
Finally, let’s clarify Bilibili’s strategic goal.
Bilibili doesn’t want to be another GitHub (a hardcore coding community) or another technical forum. Its goal is clear: to become the AI creation community with the lowest entry barrier and the highest penetration rate in China.
Its approach is:
1. Stimulate interest: Make people see the fun in AI through content.
2. Lower the barrier**: Use the Toy Platform and tools to enable ordinary people to create.
3. Collect feedback**: Iterate on products through community interaction.
4. Connect with industries**: Present good projects to investors (like Sequoia and ZhenFund) and manufacturers (like NVIDIA and Zhipu).
Bilibili has invested 70% of its AI funding in video understanding, distribution, and creation, indicating it sees AI as a tool to improve existing business efficiency, not just a pursuit of technological breakthroughs.
Future Challenges:
Bilibili needs to balance its grassroots nature with professionalism, as well as short-term traffic with long-term value. If it focuses too much on excitement, it may end up with just a collection of outdated trends. If it becomes too professional, it’ll lose its unique human touch.
In summary: Many think Bilibili’s AI efforts are just for show, but the truly fascinating aspect of AI is that it gives ordinary people the power to create. Bilibili is proving that in an era dominated by algorithms and code, community and creativity are still the most valuable resources. Whether this experiment will succeed is unknown, but just like the endless new memes in the comments, Bilibili’s AI efforts are worth watching closely.