Famous Chinese short drama actor faces lay-off due to AI’s impact returns to farming

A Chinese actor who is well-known for playing dominant bosses in miniseries and has taken part in 200 such productions has become unemployed due to the impact of AI technology.In March, to make ends meet, Zhang Xiaolei, 28, began doing farm work in the northwestern province of Qinghai, Red Star News reported.Starting with some basic dancing skills, Zhang was introduced by his friend to a miniseries filming crew at the end of 2023.Since then, he has become a familiar face to viewers of miniseries in China.In the 200 productions in which Zhang starred, 70 per cent show him portraying a “bossy president”, or ba zong in Chinese.Zhang Xiaolei, above, has gone from miniseries actor to simple chilli farmer. Photo: WeiboThe term describes a male character in romantic fiction who is a domineering control freak that only shows tenderness to their lover.The ba zong topic is among several popular themes in Chinese miniseries, the rest include counter-attacking and rebirth.Zhang said he witnessed the golden age of the miniseries industry’s development.During the busiest period, he had to work continuously for three days without any rest.In some online audition chat groups Zhang joined, actor recruitment news often popped up.The 28-year-old Zhang, above left, has gone from starring as a dominant but romantic boss, to a real-life son of the soil, right. Photo: WeiboHowever, since this year, Zhang has only received one acting opportunity, with the quoted payment amount half of last year.Further ReadingThe miniseries sector has gone through a transformation because of AI technology which creates virtual characters, diminishing the role of actual people.At the beginning of March, Zhang invested 400,000 yuan (US$58,000) in a chilli farm in Haidong, Qinghai.He chose to plant chillies because his parents have been chilli farmers for decades and he had learned a lot about the business.“My full-time job is to plant chillies and sell them on the street. If there is a chance of acting, I will do that. If not, I will just be a farmer,” Zhang was quoted as saying.“I slapped people while acting but I was slapped in the face by reality,” he said on social media, referring to his unemployed status.“In the dramas, I have a huge amount of money. But in reality, I will be upset if a customer forgets to pay me 10 yuan (US$1.5).”Zhang sells his foodstuff at a rural market and charges 4 yuan for every kilo of the plant.“Life is full of ups and downs. I still believe I can finally overcome these difficulties,” he concluded.The cast and crew of a Chinese miniseries filming a scene in a Shanghai studio. Photo: AFPThe adoption of AI has dramatically reduced the production costs of miniseries.According to a report by the news portal Sina.com, traditional miniseries using human actors would cost at least 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) per episode. After AI was introduced, it costs much less.Last year, AI technology was used in just seven per cent of productions, that has risen to 38 per cent this year.Zhang’s change of role caused much online conversation.“What a big contrast. From a ba zong to a farmer. I need some time to accept this change,” said one online observer.Another person said: “I do not like virtual characters. They are not real. It makes me feel uncomfortable. So I think human actors like Zhang will still have opportunities in the future.”