At a State Council Information Office press conference on September 17th, the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) outlined key initiatives for the 2025-2030 period. Wang Xiaoliang, Director of the Network Audiovisual Program Management Department, announced an intensified push for the "Quality Micro Drama Creation and Dissemination Plan." This includes directing platforms to establish dedicated sections for human-acted dramas and allocating funds to support premium content, ensuring quality productions receive appropriate market rewards.

Addressing the prevalence of AI-generated dramas, the regulator emphasized a dual approach of encouraging innovation while safeguarding standards. New requirements mandate that AI-produced content carry clear labeling, and platforms must strictly enforce rules regarding the authorization of likenesses and voices throughout the entire production process. Wang highlighted that AI is ultimately a tool, with humans as the primary creators. He stressed that the faster AI drama develops, the more crucial it becomes to maintain rigorous content quality checks.

The micro drama industry has experienced significant expansion, becoming a key segment of China's cultural sector. Official data released at the conference revealed that the national user base for micro dramas has surpassed 800 million. The market size is projected to exceed 100 billion yuan in 2025, with 430,000 new micro dramas released online in the first eight months of this year alone—13 times the total for all of last year. Notably, AI-generated productions account for over 90% of this output, indicating the rapid integration of artificial intelligence into production workflows.

This rapid growth has brought content-related challenges to the forefront. Since the beginning of the year, regulatory bodies have focused on eliminating harmful or vulgar material, content with negative influences on children, and pirated or infringing works. A total of 68,000 non-compliant micro dramas have been taken offline nationwide, and platforms were instructed to handle over 1,200 problematic accounts. More than 90% of the removed content was AI-generated.

Leading industry players are already shifting their strategies toward human-acted dramas. Hongguo Short Drama announced in April, during the 13th China Internet Audiovisual Conference, the establishment of a 500 million yuan special fund dedicated to supporting human-acted productions. The company also launched a "Thousand Projects" plan for realistic-themed content, aiming to support at least 1,000 life-oriented human-acted micro dramas throughout the year. Many production companies are restructuring their project pipelines to focus on refining premium human-led content. Xiamen Jujing Media, for instance, initially pivoted entirely to AI-drama production but has since rebalanced its approach based on market feedback. The company now runs a dual strategy, investing more in developing high-quality human-acted projects and exploring long-term intellectual property creation. This move aligns with regulatory guidance and addresses the growing audience demand for compelling, high-quality narratives.

Yang Huaiyu, a senior researcher at Shanghai Xiazhiliangshi Consulting, noted that strongly supporting human-led micro dramas is a core driver for the industry's high-quality development. Human-acted productions possess inherent advantages in character development, storytelling, and emotional expression, making them more likely to produce enduring, excellent content. He added that AI currently serves as a production tool that improves efficiency and reduces costs, but it cannot replace human creative thinking.

A founder of a Beijing-based micro drama company echoed this sentiment, stating that the industry's long-term development cannot rely on sheer quantity alone; it requires robust, high-quality content for support. He observed that the recent regulatory direction provides clear guidance for the sector. Previously, a surge of AI-generated dramas leveraged rapid production for traffic, leading to significant homogeneity and subpar quality. Redirecting resources toward premium human-acted content is not about dismissing AI technology but rather compelling the industry to return to its creative core. This shift will help the entire sector move away from a crude volume-based model toward a sustainable development phase driven by superior content.