Screen producers highlight human material AI can't replace

Human actions and emotions remain central to good stories even in the age of artificial intelligence – this was the message relayed by veteran actors, directors and producers at the 2026 China Movie and TV Night in Shanghai on Monday.

The gala, which honors creators in the fields of film and TV production who remain true to their original aspirations, was hosted by China Media Group as part of the ongoing 28th Shanghai International Film Festival, which concludes on Sunday.

A number of highly acclaimed movie and TV productions were recommended in 11 categories at the gala, including movies Dead To Rights, Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert and Shen Zhou 13, as well as TV series Silent Honor, Born to beAlive and Swords into Plowshares. 

Yin Hong, vice-president of the China Film Association and a gala jury member, said the Chinese film industry is entering a period of transformation, with an increasing number of new artistic forms and media formats attracting the attention of audiences and motivating the traditional film industry to adapt to changes.

"Films need to take a more rigorous 'content-first' approach to focus on specialized topics," said Yin.

"In recent years, we witnessed that audiences value and resonate with more innovative expressions and unique insights into life.

"This is not an era of simply catering to audiences. Instead, it is a time for us to guide audiences and lead them to discover new themes, new realms and new artistic innovations."

Actress Ma Li, who is in four movies to be released this year, said live action remains "irreplaceable", as AI and other evolving technologies could not replicate the emotional connection and warmth of human interaction.

Li Xue, director of the environment-themed series Born to be Alive added that AI can hardly comprehend true human emotions and feelings, and life's turbulent journey.

"I believe that every technological iteration and innovation could add value to his creative work rather than detracting from it," said Li.

"I will continue sticking to my original inspiration to create works that combine genuine emotions with professional skills."

A special "Egyptian Film Week" session was launched as part of the festival to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Egypt diplomatic relations.