Abandon the general plot of Dog Blood Tyrant! Chinese state media rushes into AI micro-short drama market, "main theme" brainwashes and evolves

Beijing is rapidly expanding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in short video and "micro-drama" propaganda campaigns, in line with high-level directives from the authorities emphasizing the use of technology to strengthen ideological work and guide public opinion.

Hong Kong's "South China Morning Post" reported on the 12th that unlike the current AI content that floods Chinese media platforms and focuses on sensational routines such as "Cinderella romance", "rebirth and revenge" or "apocalyptic survival", a new wave of official-led AI micro-short dramas cleverly weave Chinese culture, policy initiatives, development achievements and the history of the CCP's revolution into fascinating storylines. Most of these works are produced by Chinese propaganda agencies and state media, often in collaboration with private production studios and digital creators.

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The latest case is the AI micro-short drama "Tie Ji De" produced by the Press and Communication Center of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. The first episode was released on the 8th. The play is based on the "Long March" conducted by the Red Army to evade the Kuomintang troops from 1934 to 1936. It tells the story of a 128-man army who fought to the death to protect a transmitter and a hand-operated generator. In the play, AI technology is used to personify these two communication devices, which are crucial to the Red Army, and give them animated eyes and ears.

These AI audiovisual works with a national background are part of Beijing’s push to modernize official political propaganda, aiming to use emerging technologies to guide public opinion and make its national narrative more receptive to domestic and foreign audiences. Beijing views these efforts as crucial to maintaining political stability, fostering loyalty to its leadership and strengthening its global voice, countering mainstream Western media narratives that often portray China as threatening and authoritarian.

At a study meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged mainstream media to boldly use new technologies, new mechanisms and new models to maximize publicity effects. He pointed out that the fifth generation mobile communication system (5G), big data, cloud computing and AI are promoting the expansion of mobile media, and emphasized the necessity of an "action first strategy", requiring mainstream media to firmly occupy the "strategic commanding heights" of public opinion guidance and thought leadership.

In response to high-level directives on innovative propaganda, local governments and state media across China have continuously updated their communication tools. Nowadays, as generative AI technology is booming, the focus has fully shifted to AI-generated content. China will launch generative AI regulations in 2023, requiring that the content produced by AI must comply with "socialist core values."

According to a July report from the China Online Audiovisual Program Service Association, a total of 367,000 micro-short dramas were launched in the first half of this year, with more than 1,500 new AI-generated micro-short dramas pouring in every day, accounting for more than 74% of the total. China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) launched a strategy in May with the goal of producing 1,000 high-quality micro-short dramas covering themes such as mainstream values, historical milestones and local culture every year, and called for the use of AI to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance visual quality.

In addition to historical military themes, the propaganda department also uses AI micro-drama to promote grassroots policies and social governance. For example, Beijing’s Yanqing District launched “A Story of Town” to promote urban civilization; China Global Television Network (CGTN) launched “The Queen’s Sword”, which showcases the civilization of the Shang Dynasty 3,000 years ago; and Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province launched the time-travel drama “Illuminating the Lamp of Spatiotemporal Connection” to promote the intangible cultural heritage “Rolling Lamp”.

In terms of regional development, the AI ​​micro-short drama "The Ideal of a Tree" set in Tibet was launched at the end of September. Through the perspective of young musicians, it shows Tibet's modernization and ecological conservation, and promotes national unity. Foreign human rights groups often accuse Beijing of carrying out forced cultural assimilation in ethnic minority areas such as Tibet, but Beijing has always firmly denied this. Such short dramas also have considerations of balancing international audiovisuals.

However, the explosive growth of AI micro-series has also caused the Chinese authorities to increasingly face regulatory difficulties, including content plagiarism, infringement, and unauthorized use of portraits. The disorderly expansion of the market has also led to the proliferation of shoddy content. According to Chinese media reports, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has removed 68,000 mini-series from the Internet this year on the grounds that the content is harmful, vulgar, unsuitable for children or infringes copyright. In order to rectify the chaos in the industry, regulatory agencies have mandated that AI-generated content must be clearly labeled since September, and audio and video streaming platforms have also begun to deploy automated pre-review tools to strengthen checks.