iQIYI (爱奇艺) boss Gong Yu says film and TV will adopt AI at scale within 1–3 years; production costs set to plummet

Bold prediction from a streaming heavyweight

iQIYI (爱奇艺) chief executive Gong Yu (龚宇) reportedly told industry audiences that China’s film and television sector will embrace artificial intelligence at large scale within one to three years, with production costs falling sharply as a result. It has been reported that Gong framed the shift as imminent and sweeping — not a gradual experiment but a structural change in how content is made.

What that would mean for production and talent

iQIYI is one of China’s largest streaming platforms and a major investor in production technology, and the platform has already piloted AI tools for script development, visual effects, dubbing and post-production. If Gong’s timeline holds, studios could dramatically shorten shooting schedules, reduce outsourcing of effects work and automate routine creative tasks. Will that boost output and lower prices — or displace behind-the-scenes workers and reshape creative labor markets? The industry faces both a productivity upside and a workforce challenge.

Geopolitics and regulation matter

The move comes as global tensions over AI hardware and software are reshaping supply chains. U.S. export controls on high-end chips have accelerated China’s push for domestic AI capability, and Beijing has been tightening rules on synthetic media and "deep synthesis" to manage misinformation and rights issues. Those geopolitical and regulatory pressures will influence how fast and how responsibly studios deploy generative tools.

Speed, scrutiny, and the next act

Reportedly, the real test will be whether quality and audience trust keep pace with cost cuts. Can AI-produced content meet viewers’ expectations? And will regulators, rights holders and creators agree on the guardrails? The next 12–36 months may answer that — and quickly redraw the economics of screen entertainment.