Shanghai Theater Academy holds master forum: exploring the opportunities and boundaries of drama creation under the AI wave

China News Service, Shanghai, October 4 (Reporter Xu Jing) The Shanghai Theater Academy 2026 International Drama Writing Week Masters Forum was held in Shanghai on the 4th. Drama celebrities at home and abroad focused on the opportunities and boundaries of drama creation under the wave of artificial intelligence (AI), conducted in-depth discussions around the cultivation of screenwriter talents in the new era, and responded to new examination questions in the drama industry under the background of "script first".

This event is hosted by the Shanghai Theater Academy (hereinafter referred to as: Shanghai Theater Academy) and hosted by the Department of Drama and Literature of Shanghai Theater Academy.

Huang Changyong, director of the Shanghai Theater Academy, said that AI has profoundly reshaped the content production model, but drama writing is ultimately an artistic creation based on life experience. Only by taking root in life and thinking independently can creators break away from the shackles of technology and create dramatic works with warmth and depth.

The well-known American playwright Henry Hwang said that there is no standard answer for drama writing. Creation starts from the creator's inner confusion rather than preset opinions. The script does not need to stick to a detailed outline and should leave room for the characters to grow naturally. AI can assist basic work such as data retrieval and stage design, but it cannot replace the unique live art of theater, where people coexist and empathize.

American playwright Doug White believes that the inherent uncertainty and live texture of drama are its unique artistic vitality. Relying on the hypothetical nature of the stage and the blank narrative, the audience is not a passive spectator, but a co-creator who completes artistic expression together with the stage. This unique quality of on-site interaction is the core charm that digital technology cannot replicate.

As one of the earliest playwrights in China to pay attention to AI ethics, Luo Huaizhen said based on his first-line creative experience that AI is an efficient documentation aid that can quickly sort out reviews of famous works, character relationships, and historical backgrounds, effectively reducing the cost of collecting screenwriting materials. However, AI cannot break out of the inherent narrative framework. For example, it cannot create new characters such as the elderly Jia Baoyu and the youthful Jiang Ziya. The generated opera lyrics also lack traditional vocal charm and artistic aura.

Sun Huizhu, the former deputy director of Shanghai Theater Academy, pointed out that AI can quickly generate text content, but it cannot replace the creator's individual life experience and independent drama spirit. The drama industry still needs to adhere to the "script standard" and continue to consolidate theoretical research on screenwriting and the construction of original capabilities.