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Actor sells vegetables as AI takes over jobs
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Culture & Society

Actor sells vegetables as AI takes over jobs

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • Chinese actors, once earning up to 20,000 yuan daily for short dramas, now struggle for work as AI production floods the market.
  • Actor Xu Peng, formerly popular for his 'CEO Kuku Besi' role, now helps his grandfather sell vegetables after losing all acting income.
  • The rise of AI in content creation has drastically devalued the market for human actors in China's short drama industry.

The burgeoning field of artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping industries worldwide, and China's vibrant short drama sector is now feeling its impact. Actors who once commanded substantial daily incomes are now facing a bleak job market as AI-generated content floods the production landscape.

Previously, popular actors in this niche could earn as much as 20,000 yuan (approximately $2,750 USD) per day. However, the market has reportedly collapsed due to the proliferation of AI productions. Many actors are now struggling to secure even 1,200 yuan ($165 USD) daily, with a significant number losing their livelihoods entirely.

Xu Peng, a 30-year-old actor who graduated from the Central Academy of Drama, exemplifies this shift. He gained fame and fortune playing the iconic role of 'CEO Kuku Besi' during the peak of the micro-drama boom. At the height of his career, Peng worked 15-16 hour days, securing lucrative returns. Now, with no acting offers, his income has plummeted to zero.

Following his last short drama shoot earlier this year, Peng left Hengdian, China's largest film hub, to return to his rural hometown in Shandong province. Local media reports indicate he now drives the family's electric vehicle to the local market to assist his grandfather in selling vegetables. "Being an actor is just a career," Peng stated. "If there are no acting offers, I will find another way to make a living."

Being an actor is just a career. If there are no acting offers, I will find another way to make a living.

— Xu PengThe actor explained his current situation and his determination to find alternative work.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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