China's AI Drama Boom Displaces Thousands of Human Actors, Exceeding $300 Million in Revenue

China's entertainment industry is being rapidly transformed by synthetic performers: in the first quarter of 2026, more than 95 percent of the approximately 128,000 microdramas released were AI-generated productions, with new titles launching at a pace of roughly 470 per day. The boom has accelerated production timelines and slashed costs from $137,000 per series to $7,000–$14,000, while per-minute production expenses dropped from $410–$685 to $27–$137. Market revenues have soared accordingly, with video-generation platforms like Kling AI (operated by Kuaishou) reporting an annualized revenue run rate exceeding $300 million by January 2026, up from approximately $240 million in December 2025.