"Just Like Drawing Cards"... The AI Short-Form Drama Boom Gives Rise to This Popular Job in China

AI Short-Form Dramas Are Reshaping the Industry

Emergence of Choukas and One-Person Companies

In China, a new profession called "Cheoukasi (Choukasa)" is gaining attention. Literally translated from Chinese characters, it means "the person who draws cards." This emerging role originated from the recent surge in popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) short-form dramas.

On September 11, People's Daily in China reported that "AI-produced short-form dramas are completely transforming the landscape of the related industry," and featured an in-depth look at the new profession of Cheoukasi. The term Cheoukasi is reportedly derived from the concept of "gacha," a gaming term used to describe drawing characters or items at random.

AI-generated image.

Growing Number of Cheoukasi Across China

Cheoukasi refers to experts who input prompts into AI to generate video content and then select and combine the optimal results. When a production company provides scenarios or other guidelines, they use AI tools to extract the best “scenes” that will actually be used in the video. Recently, there has been a trend across China of hundreds of Cheoukasi working in PC room-type spaces known as "AI short-form factories."

Mr. Liu, a former live-action film director, said, "I changed my career to Cheoukasi after witnessing the rapidly shifting paradigm in the industry." He noted, "While the introduction of AI has dramatically increased work efficiency, I'm relieved that human involvement, judgment, and editing are still necessary." He added, "New occupations such as short-form directors, Cheoukasi, and editors have also been created."

Li Dongjin, CEO of AI short-form drama company Fuguang AI, emphasized, "Far more new jobs are being created than lost as a result of AI technology advancement." Mr. Liu also admitted, "Just a few months ago, I was anxious that AI would take away my job, but now it feels like new doors of opportunity have opened."

In fact, last year the Chinese Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security classified “generative AI animation producer” as an official new national occupation. Cheoukasi was categorized as a specific work function within that occupation. According to data from a local recruitment platform, demand for AI editors in June of this year surged by 179% compared to the same period last year.

Rising Trend of One-Person Companies Working with AI

AI-generated image.

At the same time, a new employment model known as the “one-person company (OPC)” is also emerging. In this approach, individual creators independently perform every step of the process—including planning, product design, distribution, and marketing—by utilizing AI as a “digital employee.”

Director Li Letong, who previously produced dramas with more than 30 staff members, established a one-person company this year to produce AI short-form dramas. He commented, “With the assistance of AI, I am now able to create high-quality short-form dramas entirely on my own.” He added, “The work style is flexible, and there is a steady stream of outsourcing jobs, which makes for a stable source of income.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.