Generative AI is poised to transform the premium on-screen content offering. Vice President of Chinese online media giant Tencent and CEO Tencent Video Sun Zhonghui predicting that within two years, about a third of feature films and animation could be “dominated or deeply involved in artificial intelligence,” despite ongoing concerns about performance fidelity and visual consistency.
Speaking at the forum at 7th International Film Festival on Hainan Island (HIIFF) Sun predicted a dramatic shift in premium TV and film content creation over the next few years.
“From a time perspective, if we look at the next one to two years, we have every reason to expect visible changes in the content supply structure of the platform,” Sun said. “In major categories such as film, television and animation, the share of productions that are dominated or deeply leveraged by AI could potentially be as high as 10% to 30%.”
Pointing to the brief content, Sun concluded that the race has already been won by generation AI products.
“Short-form content is like fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), ruthlessly pursuing efficiency,” Sun said. “In this regard, short dramas and short animations as we know them have already taken the lead by dramatically reducing costs. We estimate that companies producing short animations using artificial intelligence now account for almost 30% of the market.”
Despite the optimistic outlook, several factors remain barriers to generative AI in long-form content, including the ability to maintain consistency and the inability to replicate human actions.
“AI video technology still cannot solve the problems of visual consistency and controllability,” Sun explained. “With longer frame durations, the shifting character details become very apparent.”
Sun also suggested that human actors' performances contain micro-expressions and micro-movements that cannot be replicated by current generation AI, leaving gaps in emotional intensity and subtlety.
He also noted that most mainstream AI-generated content is limited to 1080p HD resolution, which does not meet 4K or DCI standards for theatrical releases.
However, Sun stressed that these obstacles are temporary and predicted that AI will allow filmmakers to return to ambitious genres that were previously considered too financially risky for studios to greenlight.
“Genres that have been neglected in the past due to market risks, such as grand science fiction and grand Age of Discovery narratives, will be revived thanks to the cost savings that AI offers,” Sun said.
To meet this future, Sun reported that Tencent Video is actively integrating artificial intelligence tools into its traditional workflows, saying that it is currently implementing artificial intelligence in the early stages of conceptual design, pre-visualization and rotoscoping. In LED virtual manufacturing, artificial intelligence is used to create complex digital scenery needed as backdrops.
Sun responded to criticism that AI will lead to unemployment in the creative industries by saying Tencent views talent development as the company's top priority.
“The talent model for the future of filmmaking requires polymaths; To put it more vividly, we need art engineers or technical artists, and we are working with leading colleges and institutions to develop them,” Sun said.
“In fact, we are very fortunate to be able to experience a true renaissance in the film industry. The most exciting human experience comes when one goes through the process from uncertainty to certainty.”
