iQIYI charts AI-powered future at World Conference 2026

China's leading online entertainment platform iQIYI has unveiled a major AI-driven transformation strategy, highlighting breakthroughs in technology and content innovation as it shifts toward a decentralized, creator-led ecosystem.

The announcement was made at the iQIYI World Conference 2026 in Beijing from April 20-21, where the company officially launched Nadou Pro, a professional-grade AI content production platform, and outlined its transition from a traditional centralized streaming service to a decentralized social media-like model.

AI-driven technology transformation

Gong Yu, founder and CEO of iQIYI, said the latest wave of AI marks a fundamental departure from previous technological upgrades in the film and television industry.

"In the past, technology first changed distribution, then content. This time, AI is directly changing content itself," he said.

By significantly reducing production costs and shortening development cycles, AI is lowering barriers to entry and enabling the rise of one-person studios and super-individual creators. The company expects this to drive exponential growth in both creators and content output, potentially triggering a new phase of industry expansion.

At the core of this shift is Nadou Pro, which integrates nearly 70 AI agents across the entire production pipeline—from scriptwriting and directing to visual design and editing—forming what executives describe as an "AI-powered studio".

According to Gong, the platform combines creators' ideas with iQIYI's IP, talent and digital assets, using AI to produce a full range of content, including films, series, animation and variety shows. It aims to transform long-form content through AI, with a commercially viable AI-generated blockbuster expected as early as this summer or by autumn.

Nadou Pro offers two collaboration models: an "one person company" mode, in which a single creator uses multiple AI agents to manage the entire production process, and a team-based mode that enables collaboration between humans and AI within the same workflow.

More than 100 artists have already joined Nadou Pro's talent library. The platform will also launch a creator's community to support commercial projects and create a closed loop from creation to monetization, said Liu Wenfeng, iQIYI's senior vice president.

As part of iQIYI's broader expansion plans, the company is also accelerating Nadou Pro's global rollout. The international version of Nadou Pro is under development, with the first English-language version expected to launch in mid-May, integrating overseas and globally deployed Chinese AI models. Portuguese is likely to be the next supported language, followed by a multilingual version, Liu revealed in an interview.

In addition to Nadou Pro, iQIYI also introduced ChiJing AI, a co-creation platform that allows users to rewrite storylines and participate in content creation, as well as Taodou World, a community where users interact with AI-driven characters. Together, these products reflect iQIYI's broader strategy of leveraging diversified AI tools to extend IP value across its business.