How AI Is Transforming Video Entertainment: iQIYI’s Strategic Innovations

At the 6th China Online Audio‑Visual Conference in Chengdu, iQIYI Vice President Xie Danming outlined the company’s AI strategy, emphasizing how artificial intelligence is reshaping video entertainment and the broader content ecosystem.

AI‑Powered Video Enhancements

iQIYI has developed a deep neural‑network algorithm that performs dynamic frame interpolation, converting 30 FPS video to 60 FPS. This technology smooths transitions in fast‑moving scenes such as sports, animation, and action movies, reducing visual jitter.

Additional AI features include the “Only Watch TA 3.0” system, which combines a 100,000‑celebrity video database with scene‑recognition and shot‑analysis, as well as real‑time heat‑mapping (the “green screen” function) and mask‑bullet comments that personalize the viewing experience.

From View Counts to Heat Metrics

In September, iQIYI announced the removal of traditional view‑count displays, replacing them with a multi‑dimensional heat metric that aggregates watch time, interaction, and sharing data. The AI model continuously updates this heat value, providing a more nuanced assessment of content popularity.

AI‑Driven Traffic Prediction and IP Valuation

According to Xie, AI has raised pre‑release traffic prediction accuracy to 88 % for movies and 81 % for major dramas, and post‑launch accuracy to 93 % for TV series. iQIYI’s IP‑valuation system leverages big‑data analytics and natural‑language processing to evaluate script quality, production feasibility, and commercial potential across the industry.

Industry Context and Competitive Landscape

The rise of AI in video aligns with broader trends such as AR/VR adoption and data‑driven content creation. IDC forecasts that by 2021, over a billion users will regularly access AR/VR applications, while AI continues to enhance recommendation accuracy, as demonstrated by Netflix’s AI competition that boosted its recommendation precision by 10 %.

Companies like ByteDance (owner of Toutiao and Douyin) already use AI for intelligent mobile content distribution, and major players are integrating “big data + AI + internet marketing” strategies across film, gaming, and short‑video sectors.

iQIYI’s Strategic Position

iQIYI differentiates itself by combining extensive user profiling, personalized learning algorithms, and hardware‑software integration to deliver unique content experiences. This AI‑centric approach is positioned as the core driver of its future growth in the increasingly competitive entertainment market.

Overall, AI is expected to deepen content creation, refine commercial models, and enable more precise advertising, potentially reshaping the entire media value chain.