Anhui Satellite TV recently aired the country's first mid-length TV drama, "The Legend of Tao Hua Tan," which was fully produced using AI technology and focuses on intangible cultural heritage. The drama officially launched on a satellite channel, airing every night at 9:50 PM. A special note at the end of the episode reads "AIGC Director," marking the entry of AI-generated content into the traditional television broadcasting system.

"The Legend of Tao Hua Tan" is set against the backdrop of the traditional paper-making techniques of Xuan paper in Jing County, Anhui. It combines intangible cultural heritage with elements of Ming Dynasty political intrigue and suspense, telling a story centered around the craftsmanship of Xuan paper. The drama adopts a lightweight mid-length format, consisting of 20 episodes, each about 10 minutes long, and has obtained a network TV series distribution license, achieving a transition from online content platforms to satellite TV screens.

In recent years, with the rapid development of generative AI technology, AI film and television production has gradually become an industry exploration direction. In addition to Anhui Satellite TV, Zhejiang Satellite TV, Guangdong Satellite TV, and Oriental Satellite TV have also begun to enter the AI drama market, trying different themes such as mythology, science fiction, and history, promoting the diversified development of AI content production models.

However, AI dramas still face dual challenges from technology and the market. Currently, some AI-generated content suffers from unnatural facial expressions, lack of action coherence, and limited video stability, sparking discussions about content quality. Supporters argue that AI can significantly reduce the cost of film and television production and improve creative efficiency, with some projects' production cycles being shortened from months to days. In the future, AI is expected to become an important tool for the industrialized production of films and television.

The broadcast of "The Legend of Tao Hua Tan" signifies that AI dramas are moving from experimental stages on short video platforms toward a more standardized film and television distribution system. With continuous improvements in model capabilities, the way AI integrates with human creation will become an important direction for competition in the film and television industry.