In the first quarter of 2026, AI micro-dramas accounted for over 95% of productions, driven by the rise of first-generation AI stars. Fang Taozi, the female lead of the AI short drama "The Laid-Off Girl," gained 387,000 followers in less than a month, and combined with male lead Zhou Yiheng, the two AI characters have surpassed 500,000 total followers. The drama's official Douyin account has surpassed 200 million views, and the derivative topic "Two AI actors are more popular than undiscovered stars in domestic entertainment" once topped Weibo's trending list, holding the number one spot for over eight hours with more than 45 million topic reads. This shift in AI celebrity operational logic moves from plot clips to companionable virtual idols, using a "breaking-the-fourth-wall" lifestyle vlog strategy. Meanwhile, Anhui TV premiered the fully AI-generated intangible cultural heritage drama "Peach Blossom Pond," and iQiyi launched China's first AIGC online feature film, "Tales of the Strange: Paper Blades Through the Wasteland." This growth is accompanied by portrait rights disputes and actor resistance, though Hong Kong stars like Joey Wong and Lawrence Ng have proactively authorized their AI likenesses. Regulators have introduced tiered and classified management measures.