Recently, a media company unveiled two AI-generated actors on Weibo and cast them as leads in an AIGC drama series, sparking heated debate. Amid growing anxieties that AI may threaten industry viability and squeeze employment opportunities, the topic "netizens boycott AI actors" soared to the top of trending lists - a development that warrants deep reflection from industries and businesses pushing forward with AI adoption.
Two AI-generated performers, Qin Lingyue, a male character, and Lin Xiyan, a female character (Photo: Screenshot from Youhug Media's Weibo account)
If the direction is wrong, even the most efficient path leads astray.
Why are netizens boycotting AI-generated actors? The core reason lies in their lack of a "human touch" and a pervasive sense of artificiality. Despite lacking a high-tech smart stage, Beijing People's Art Theatre continues to attract audiences from the post-1990s and post-2000s generations, precisely because the emotional interactions between actors and audiences is instantaneous and reciprocal. This reflects a genuine market demand. Today, while AI applications are flourishing and industries are racing ahead, failing to target real demand means even the most flashy innovations may end up as ineffective supply. Producing more of such content will only result in another form of "overcapacity."
Human preferences determine market trends. Whether in the cultural sector or the manufacturing industry, AI applications must revolve around human needs to ensure sustainable development.
The true advantage is not "doing old things faster," but "doing new things in new ways."
At present, some companies, seeing AI's potential to boost efficiency, rush to deploy AI systems - even resorting to layoffs to cut costs - yet fail to create any actual business value. They fail to realize that the tipping point of technological evolution often signifies a shift in development paradigms. Blindly pursuing novelty and speed solely for the sake of efficiency amounts to using "tactical effort" to mask "strategic failure." While improving efficiency matters, it does not mean that "replacing humans with AI" is an inherent advantage. The real edge lies in adopting new organizational models to unlock new quality productive forces.
Take Gree Electric Appliances as an example. In its workshops, intelligent welding lines operate at high speed, yet experienced welders have not been replaced. Instead, they have transitioned into AI trainers, converting years of craftsmanship and precise judgment into data parameters that "teach" machines to weld more reliably and accurately. What AI should replace is not employees, but outdated development models. Only by maximizing human-machine synergy can companies improve both efficiency and effectiveness.
Looking ahead, the deep integration of AI across all sectors is an inevitable trend. Market competition will not become simpler because of AI; rather, it will become more complex due to AI's efficiency. Companies that fail to adopt AI will fall behind, but so will those that fail to use it well. The ultimate trajectory of development will still be determined by the mindset, strategic vision, and innovative drive of those at the helm.
The more widespread AI applications become, the more they highlight the value of human agency and creativity. Only those businesses that better understand human nature, stay closer to real demand and excel at leveraging core human strengths will truly win the future and benefit society as a whole.