The Change of Media, the Constancy of Expression: A Narrative Study of AI Short Dramas
In 2026, China's AI short dramas transitioned from technological experimentation to large-scale commercialization, sparking discussions on creative paradigms and the essence of art. Centered on the core proposition of "the change of media, the constancy of expression", this paper adopts the comparative case study method to analyze the practices of works including Huo Qubing, Paper Phone, Feng Shui Master and platforms such as Nadou Pro and Yingpu AI. The study finds that AI technology has reconstructed the efficiency logic of short drama production, but has not changed the emotional core of narrative expression; the degree of retention of the subjectivity of "expression" varies with different stages of human-machine collaboration; the "efficiency-first" production path will dilute the depth of expression, while "emotional presence" and "professional competence" are the keys to achieving a quality leap. Based on the human-machine collaboration model, this paper proposes the "constancy of expression" as the value dimension of AI short dramas, providing a theoretical reference for audio-visual content research in the era of intelligent media.
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