Sohu's founder, Zhang Chaoyang, was present at the opening ceremony of the 2025 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit and granted an interview. He highlighted that AI is revolutionizing how people access information. However, he also issued a word of caution against becoming overly reliant on AI, as this could impede the development of logical thinking skills. Zhang Chaoyang holds an optimistic view of the growth prospects for the traditional internet, stating that Sohu will persist in its focus on the consumer internet segment, with a particular emphasis on media and video-based social networking.

He emphasized repeatedly that the cornerstone of Sohu Video's 'Guanzhu Liu' (Follow Stream) lies in 'social distribution.' Regarding video content, Zhang Chaoyang revealed that Sohu will reinstate its American drama strategy. This will involve stepping up procurement efforts while adopting a 'blended approach of long and short formats.' This means they will operate vertical short videos and produce horizontal short dramas in-house.