'55 million views.'
A 27-second video resembling a scene from a 1990s romance film set in New York has garnered significant attention on Instagram. Featuring impeccably attractive characters against a backdrop of autumn in New York, the entire scene was created by artificial intelligence (AI).
The video, which appears to feature real actors, has sparked explosive reactions on social media. Comments such as 'Make a movie with this character,' 'It should be on Netflix,' 'It's sad they don't actually exist,' and 'When is the next episode coming?' flooded in.
The video was produced by Dreamfall Art Studio, which boasts over 2 million followers and monthly content views exceeding 300 million. Once seen as bizarre or intriguing, AI-generated videos are now evolving into content that captivates viewers, who eagerly await the next installment.
As generative AI video technology rapidly advances in China, predictions suggest a future where actors may no longer be necessary. AI actor Tilly Nowood, set in a fictional universe as a 'London-born actress,' recently starred in the comedy film 'Misaligned' and gave an interview to CNN.
Gong Yu, founder of iQIYI, often referred to as China's Netflix, stirred controversy by suggesting that filming with human actors could soon become a relic of the past. In China, AI actors and hosts are already replacing humans in short-form dramas and live commerce. According to the China Online Audio-Visual Program Service Association (CNSA), 95% of the approximately 128,000 short dramas released in China in the first quarter of this year were produced using AI.
In the United States, the growth of the short-form drama market is accelerating the adoption of AI. NBCUniversal has introduced vertical videos on its streaming service Peacock and is expanding AI-driven video features. Fox has also invested in the vertical video platform Holywater and plans to co-produce over 200 short-form video projects in the next two years.
However, the situation is not entirely rosy. The rise of AI has led to new challenges. In China, a 'face licensing' market has emerged, allowing individuals to sell their facial likenesses to AI content creators. Reports have surfaced of production teams pressuring actors and hosts to allow their faces, voices, and movements to be used by AI. In South Korea, discussions are underway to legislate 'publicity rights' to control the commercial use of identifiable personal elements such as faces, names, and voices, with related bills already submitted to the National Assembly.
“AI Can Easily Create Werewolves and Vampires”The growth of the short-form drama market combined with AI was evident at the 2026 International Broadcasting and Video Market (BCWW) held at COEX in Seoul.
Global short-form drama platform NetShot is leveraging AI to produce genres such as werewolves, mythology, fantasy, and superpowers. NetShot is a latecomer, launching its services in September 2024, about a year behind competitors. However, it has already risen to the third position in the industry in the first half of this year.
The key to this success is AI. Ally Lee, head of business development at NetShot, stated during a keynote speech at BCWW that AI enables projects that would typically take months to complete to be finished in just a few days. He noted, 'There are 2 billion short-form users worldwide, excluding China,' and emphasized that traditional live-action production methods struggle to keep pace with market growth. 'To reach new audiences, the role of AI is crucial.'
AI's advantages extend beyond speed. Lee highlighted that 'the greater value lies in enabling stories that are difficult or costly to produce in live-action,' stating that 'werewolves, vampires, magical worlds, and futuristic cities can be realized at manageable costs.'
Ultimately, however, it is the story that captivates viewers. He remarked, 'Even using the same AI model and script, the outcome varies depending on the team that creates it,' predicting that 'the team that understands both content and AI will be the winner.'
NetShot currently supplies content in about 20 languages and utilizes AI for translation and dubbing. Recently, the rapid growth of AI animation overseas has prompted expansion into this field as well.
Lee expressed readiness to collaborate with entities possessing excellent intellectual property (IP) and local production capabilities and networks, aiming to accelerate localization in the South Korean market.
Background and Action: “Real Emotion Requires Human Actors”AI is also lowering the barriers for overseas locations. A notable example is the series 'House of David,' created by Amazon MGM Studios in collaboration with Wonder Project. Of the 850 visual effect shots used in Season 1, 73 were generated using AI, reducing production burdens by creating backgrounds such as skies and mountainous terrains while real actors performed.
In South Korea, experiments continue to combine existing filming methods with AI. 'Return of the Divine Doctor,' produced by KT Studio Genie, preserves the actors' performances while using AI to create action sequences that are difficult to achieve through traditional filming. To blend the actors' performances with AI visuals, a 'Gridwall' optimized for AI filming was introduced, capturing the actors' faces, bodies, costumes, and props from multiple angles to create a 'character sheet.' This was then combined with AI-generated environments and martial arts choreography to complete the action scenes.
Jae-hyun Eun, head of the AI project team at KT Studio Genie, explained at BCWW, 'We utilized AI not to reduce production costs but to create action that is genuinely difficult to implement.' He stated, 'We were able to realize actions that would be impossible to achieve through camera work.'
The question remains: Will AI replace humans, or will it become a tool for human creativity? The content market is witnessing experiments in both directions.
Eun seems to lean towards the latter. He emphasized the importance of 'real emotion,' stating, 'I believe that true emotion can be conveyed when AI works alongside creators, directors, and actors. We have put great effort into preserving the soul of the performance.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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