The AI short drama sector is currently in a state of turmoil, with its practitioners generally plagued by anxiety and a sense of aimlessness. The industry is advancing at a breakneck speed, with more than 1,500 episodes being released every day. Production costs have been slashed, luring in a vast number of teams. Yet, aside from the platforms themselves, virtually no one is truly turning a profit.

The industry has become akin to a high-speed game of chance, hinging on massive output in the hopes of striking gold with a blockbuster hit. Shows are quickly abandoned if they fail to show promise within just three days of their release. To make matters worse, platforms are constantly tweaking their revenue-sharing rules, further eroding the earnings of producers.

The advent of AI has given rise to new, low-paying yet pivotal roles such as 'gacha masters'. At the same time, it has exacerbated the skills gap among practitioners, setting an even higher bar for professional directors. The profit distribution along the industry chain is lopsided, with platforms reaping the lion's share. Producers are left with razor-thin margins and no assurance of timely payment, while some instructors, peddling courses on how to break into the industry, are raking in substantial profits.

Intense competition within the domestic market has spurred many practitioners to look for opportunities abroad. However, high customer acquisition costs, content censorship, and the challenges of cultural adaptation in foreign markets continue to constrain producers' profit margins.

The entire industry is in disarray, marked by a sharp drop in the number of production companies, rampant plagiarism, and an unrelenting focus on speed at the expense of content quality. Nevertheless, the audience's appetite for high-quality stories remains undiminished, and the industry is still on the lookout for its next big hit.