How AI Is Transforming Entertainment: Lessons from iQIYI’s CTO

On October 25, 2018, the APOStech 2018 conference for communications, media, and entertainment was held in Phuket, Thailand, where iQIYI’s CTO Liu Wenfeng delivered a keynote titled “AI Innovation at iQIYI.” He argued that AI is driving a productivity revolution in entertainment by dramatically improving user experience, enhancing ecosystem monetization, and increasing operational efficiency, making AI essential for maximizing IP value.

iQIYI has embedded AI throughout its entertainment ecosystem, applying it to intelligent creation, production, annotation, distribution, playback, monetization, and customer service. The company leverages technologies such as 8K VR streaming, ABS adaptive bitrate, ZoomAI super‑resolution, and mask‑based bullet comments to significantly upgrade the viewing experience.

In original productions like the variety shows “The New Rap of China” and “China Music Billboard,” AI assists with automatic subtitle generation and video material indexing, greatly accelerating production workflows. iQIYI also launched the “Yihui” intelligent casting system, which uses AI algorithms to match casting requirements with actors more precisely, improving casting efficiency for self‑produced content.

AI‑driven analytics have raised the accuracy of TV drama traffic forecasts to 88% and movie box‑office predictions to 81%, providing strong support for casting decisions, script writing, rights acquisition, content promotion, and advertising sales. A massive smart celebrity database enables AI to recognize stars, plot elements, actions, emotions, and dialogue, allowing ads to be automatically aligned with content for better ad performance and user experience.

Targeting the preference of over 70% of Chinese users for vertical video, iQIYI released a vertical short‑drama series “Life Hits Me,” redefining short‑form content and expanding creative formats. Leveraging big data and machine learning, the platform introduced a “hotness” metric that offers a more scientific, multi‑dimensional evaluation of video content, reshaping how video quality is judged.

By the end of 2017, iQIYI’s mobile platform had approximately 421.3 million monthly active users and 126 million daily active users, while the PC side reached 424.1 million monthly and 53.7 million daily active users. Liu emphasized that iQIYI will continue deepening AI integration across its entertainment ecosystem, using innovation to lead industry development.