iQIYI's Gong Yu Says AI Blockbusters Are Coming — Expected to Debut This Summer

iQIYI pushes generative AI into big-budget content

It has been reported that iQIYI (爱奇艺) founder and CEO Gong Yu (龚宇) told media the company expects AI-created "blockbusters" to debut this summer. The claim underscores a strategic pivot: China’s biggest streaming platforms are moving from recommending algorithms to actually producing films and shows using generative artificial intelligence. Will audiences accept movies with AI-crafted scripts, digital actors or synthetic scenes? iQIYI is betting they will.

From recommendation engine to content factory

iQIYI made its name as a streaming and recommendation powerhouse, but in recent years it has invested heavily in generative models, digital humans and automated production tools to cut costs and accelerate output. Reportedly, the summer releases will be the first high-profile tests of those capabilities at scale. For Western readers: this is part of a wider trend in China’s entertainment sector where streaming rivals — from Tencent Video (腾讯视频) to Bilibili (哔哩哔哩) — are racing to use AI to differentiate content offerings and capture viewers.

Regulatory and geopolitical headwinds

The rollout comes against a complex backdrop. Domestically, Beijing has tightened rules on online content and the use of synthetic media, including guidance to label manipulated or AI-generated material. Internationally, U.S. export controls on advanced AI chips and semiconductors complicate training large models at scale, a constraint that Chinese firms must creatively work around. Reportedly, iQIYI’s approach balances tech ambition with compliance — but execution risks remain.

This summer will be a test not just of technology, but of trust and taste. Can AI deliver stories that move real audiences? And can Chinese platforms commercialize generative production while navigating both regulators and geopolitics? Expect a closely watched experiment in the evolving film economy.