After more than three months, the winners of iQiyi's "Coexisting with AI" short film competition have been announced, but this is just the beginning. On November 8, the awards ceremony and showcase for the iQiyi AI Short Film Competition took place in Shanghai, where seven winning films—including *Under the Fireworks Lies My Home*, *The Fantasy of a "Tree"*, and *ALAYA*—were screened for the first time on the big screen. Selected from over 2,300 submissions, the winning creators stepped forward to join iQiyi, AI media veterans, and large model experts in addressing a pivotal question: Where is creativity headed in the AI era?
As a special surprise, the champion team was invited to appear at iQiyi’s annual "Screaming Night" gala, as the company aims to "ensure more AI creators are seen."
**iQiyi: Seizing the Opportunity to Embrace AI-Driven Creativity** When *Under the Fireworks My Home* used LEGO bricks and collapsing buildings to silently protest war, and *The Fantasy of a "Tree"* employed AI to explore philosophical reflections on self-worth, a discussion on "next-generation creativity" began. With breakthroughs like Google’s Veo3 and rapid iterations of video-generation models like SeeDance, AI’s visual quality and narrative depth have surpassed expectations.
"iQiyi’s AI Short Film Competition is an experiment in the AI era—not an endpoint, but a starting point," said Xie Danming, Vice President of iQiyi and head of its Intelligent Platform Division, whose team provides AI support across the company. He noted that AI is blurring the lines between technology and content. Since 2018, iQiyi has invested heavily in AI, and with the advent of ChatGPT in 2023, it launched tools like "Script Workshop" and "Visual Workshop" to assist creators in screenwriting and scene design. Moving forward, iQiyi plans to deepen collaboration with creators by opening more AI tools to them.
Chen Xiao, Senior Vice President of iQiyi, acknowledged the transformative impact of AI on video production, stating that the company shares creators' excitement, curiosity, and optimism. He emphasized that AI presents an opportunity for iQiyi to enhance long-form content creation by merging creativity and efficiency. "Innovation is ingrained in iQiyi’s ecosystem, and we will always stand with creators to embrace the future of storytelling," he added.
Chen Hongjia, another Senior VP, highlighted iQiyi’s mission to "make dreams bloom and joy simple," which becomes more tangible in the AI era. Whether for professional filmmakers or amateur creators, AI empowers better content creation. He revealed that the competition’s winning team would be featured at "Screaming Night," reinforcing iQiyi’s commitment to amplifying AI creators’ voices.
**Creators: From "Impossible to Film" to "Finished in Ten Days"—AI Lowers Barriers** Chen Youxue, director of the first-prize film *Under the Fireworks Lies My Home* and a veteran of over 20 short films, shared how AI turned once-unrealizable ideas into reality. His film was completed in just ten days, achieving what was previously "writable but unfilmable." Chen views AI as a complementary partner that enhances efficiency while human emotion remains the soul of storytelling. He is now exploring AI’s potential in feature-length narratives.
Surprisingly, the competition’s winners came from diverse backgrounds—graphic designers, magicians, bloggers, and film students—proving that AI enables anyone with a story to become a "slash creator." Wen Ye, an independent designer and second-prize winner for *The Fantasy of a "Tree"*, noted that while technology is neutral, the stories it tells can be deeply human. His win underscores that professional training is no longer a prerequisite for creativity in the AI era.
Pan Yu, creator of the second-prize film *ALAYA*, described AI collaboration as a "dual-world workflow," where human and AI inputs merge to create something transcendent. "Working with AI is a journey of self-discovery and surpassing limits," he said.
**Industry Outlook: A New Visual Language Emerges as AI Gains 'Humanity'** At a panel discussion moderated by AI media veteran Luo Yihang, experts debated whether AI is a tool, partner, or new director. Google Cloud AI specialist Jennie Shi highlighted that while all showcased films were AI-assisted, they lacked an "AI feel," achieving emotional resonance—a key goal for next-gen video models.
Wu Lizheng, product architect at Volcano Ark, outlined three ways to boost AI video efficiency: optimizing GPU usage, improving model reliability, and integrating industry know-how to reduce trial-and-error costs.
Zhu Liang, VP of iQiyi’s Intelligent Production Division, stressed that AI is birthing a new visual language, reshaping workflows and aesthetics. The company has formed cross-departmental teams to support AI creators and will launch the "Peter Pau-iQiyi AI Theater" to foster 15+ minute AI-driven narratives.
Li Zhen, head of iQiyi’s Dali Studio, revealed that AI is being applied across animation, comics, and film, with children’s content as a key focus. "We’re partnering with AI directors to elevate quality and efficiency, delivering beautiful, inspiring visuals for kids," he said, comparing AI’s impact to the shift from black-and-white to color films.
As AI puts creative tools in everyone’s hands, iQiyi’s competition marks not an end, but the dawn of a new era in storytelling. Riding the wave of innovation, iQiyi vows to collaborate with creators in redefining cinematic expression.