“Short-Drama CEO” Films 200 Projects a Year Yet Faces Unemployment — Chinese Actor Admits Defeat to AI, Returns Home to Farm

(Beijing, April 24) China’s short drama industry has seen rapid growth in recent years, but the rise of artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape the landscape. Actor Zhang Xiaolei, who gained popularity for playing “dominant CEO” roles in short dramas, recently revealed in an interview that he has returned to his hometown in Gansu to work in agriculture due to a sharp decline in acting opportunities.

According to Qunzhong News, Zhang entered the short drama scene in 2023 and has appeared in nearly 200 productions centered around the “CEO” trope. At his peak, he earned between RMB 30,000 and 40,000 per month. However, he shared that since the Lunar New Year this year, the number of live-action short dramas has dropped significantly, leading to fewer job opportunities. “So I decided to just go back home and farm,” he said.

Speaking about the industry shift, Zhang noted that the emergence of AI-generated short dramas has had a notable impact on human actors. Coming from a farming background in Gansu, he considers agriculture a familiar skill. He has already invested around RMB 400,000 into agricultural development. Although he has yet to break even, he remains committed: “If there are acting jobs, I’ll act. If not, I’ll farm.”

Currently, he focuses on greenhouse cultivation of crops such as chili peppers. Reflecting on his journey, he said, “My mother farmed to support my education, and now after graduating, I’m back to farming. It feels like a full circle.”

The news sparked lively online discussion, with some netizens joking, “There’s no shortage of ‘CEO’ characters in short dramas,” while others expressed concern: “With AI rising, real actors may face increasing job insecurity.”