白鹭

一 |     兄弟们，76人顺利拿下詹姆斯、波普之后，球迷的喜悦还在持续，但球队管理层已经开启新一轮补强操作。球队操盘手鲍勃·迈尔斯十分清楚，当前阵容唯一的短板集中在替补中锋位置，只有补齐这个缺口，76人才能真正成为攻防均衡的夺冠劲旅。         目前自由球员市场里，尼克·理查兹是最稳妥、最现实的补强目标。    

    Staff members work on a short-form drama in Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang Province, on July 21, 2026. Photo: VCG
Open Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, and AI-generated short dramas are hard to miss.
The stories span almost every genre familiar to Chinese audiences, from fantasy and immortal cultivation to urban romance and period tales.
The biggest difference is that the actors, settings and even many of the visual elements are generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
One of the latest hits is The Inverse Zone, an original mystery-thriller about monsters that has been dubbed an AI version of Stranger Things. The series has released three episodes so far, each receiving more than 1 million likes on Douyin.
Yet the team behind it consists of just three people, all born after 2000.
While Hollywood is still catching up with the short drama boom, China's short-drama industry is already moving into the AI era.
For many young creators, AI is not just another tool - it is a door that small teams could never have opened before.
"We've always wanted to make professional film and television content, with visual language, complete storytelling and a cinematic feel," Hu Hai, a member of the team behind The Inverse Zone, told the Global Times. "But the cost and barriers of live-action production were too high. Small teams had little chance to realize high-quality film and television projects."
As increasingly capable domestic AI models emerged, that door began to open. "The maturity of AI creative tools made us see new possibilities," Hu said.
The explosive growth of AI-generated short dramas is a double-edged sword: It opens doors for some, but leaves many in the industry uncertain about what comes next. Many actors who once benefited from the short-drama boom are now finding work increasingly scarce, with some turning to other professions. Meanwhile, the use of celebrities likenesses in AI-generated content (AIGC) has ignited a fresh wave of debate.
Where is the industry headed next? Global Times reporters spoke with AI creators, short-drama actors and industry experts about the opportunities and uncertainties ahead.
         Screenshots from the AI-generated microdrama The Inverse Zone Photo: Courtesy of Hu Hai
Lowering barriers

Hu studied directing and filmmaking in college. His team initially focused on short comedy videos, a field with relatively low production costs and less barriers to entry. But after years of producing this type of content, they eventually reached a creative plateau. That began to shift as more advanced AI tools came onto the scene.
To produce The Inverse Zone, the team used domestic video-generation models Seedance 2.0 and 2.5. The series took nearly two months to prepare, including world-building, character design and establishing a consistent visual style. "Seedance is the best in the world. It's extremely advanced. There's no model in Europe or the US that is more useful than it," Hu told the Global Times.
The technology does not mean production is effortless, however.
According to Hu, a typical episode costs around 4,000 to 5,000 yuan ($593-$741) to produce, while episodes involving large-scale scenes, complex special effects or demanding lighting and rendering can cost more than 10,000 yuan.
The team used AI for image generation, basic voice work and material rendering, while humans remained responsible for the script, character development, cinematography and post-production.
"The soul of the entire series is still controlled by people," Hu said. "All the key creative decisions are manually adjusted and repeatedly reviewed."
Ya Cen, operations head of AI video platform LibTV, told the Global Times that the AI short-drama ecosystem is now characterized by small teams, high productivity and strong individual styles. "The most direct value of AIGC is that it has lowered the geographic and financial barriers to film and television production," she added.
    Screenshots from the AI-generated microdrama The Inverse Zone Photo: Courtesy of Hu Hai
Actors in AI era
Yet the rise of AI short dramas is also creating new tensions.
AI-generated characters are now building fanbases, landing brand endorsements, and being described as the next generation of digital stars. At the same time, many celebrities including Taiwan actress Joey Wong have reportedly given permission for their younger likenesses to be used in AIGC.
The impact extends beyond celebrity likenesses. It is also being felt by people who once benefited from China's booming live-action short-drama industry.
The short-drama boom created opportunities for large numbers of actors, many of whom could quickly become recognizable faces. However, as AI-generated productions expand, some performers are finding fewer acting opportunities and turning to other professions.
Chongqing native Luo Xinyuan, 21, has experienced that shift firsthand.
She spent more than a year in Hengdian, East China's Zhejiang Province as a short-drama actress. Since May, she has worked at a scenic area playing Huang Rong, a character from a classic Chinese martial arts novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes.
"When short dramas were at their peak, there were lots of fast-paced, feel-good stories," Luo told the Global Times. "But that kind of content is difficult to sustain. Without richer and more meaningful stories, the pressure from AI short dramas will make things even harder."
For many short-drama actors, the disruption is likely to be structural rather than an immediate wholesale replacement, Zhang Peng, a cultural researcher and associate professor at Nanjing Normal University, told the Global Times. The question of celebrity likenesses may prove even more complicated.
Zhang warned that unrestricted authorization could raise concerns over control and revenue sharing. Without clearer rules, the technology could put further pressure on ordinary actors.
The next stage may not be a choice between humans and machines, but a new production model in which the two increasingly work together.
For creators such as Hu, that possibility is already here.
"AI has finally given young creators like us the opportunity to realize the film and television dreams we've had for years," he said.
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二 | 这名28岁的牙买加中锋，身高2米13，体重111公斤，臂展为2米22，静态身体天赋肉眼可见。理查兹已经在NBA征战6个赛季，赛场打法简洁高效，主打挡拆和顺下终结，不占用球权，运动能力出色，可以跟进快攻，同时能送出高质量挡拆。         上赛季理查兹场均可以拿到9.4分7.6篮板0.9次封盖，是标准的蓝领功能性中锋。他不抢占球权、不随意出手的打法，能够完美适配76人第二阵容的轮换需求，即插即用，稳定性极强。

三 |          与此同时，买断市场也传出了更诱人的补强目标，也就是德安德烈·艾顿。从8月初开始，艾顿买断加盟费城的流言持续发酵，根据联盟消息，艾顿计划和奇才达成买断协议，之后以底薪合同加盟76人。         追溯合同细节，艾顿持有26-27赛季价值810.4万的球员选项，他在7月4日被湖人交易至奇才。加盟奇才之后，球队内线阵容极度拥挤，浓眉肯定会长期占据核心内线出场时间，榜眼秀萨尔伤愈后也需要时间练级，加上状元秀迪班萨也在等待出场机会。多重因素叠加之下，艾顿在奇才基本没有稳定出场时间和战术地位，合同保障更是无从谈起。         上赛季艾顿为湖人出战72场常规赛，场均可以贡献12.5分8篮板1盖帽，投篮命中率达到67.1%，这项数据创下他个人生涯最佳水准。艾顿的打法优势十分鲜明，擅长挡拆顺下，篮下终结效率顶级，同时具备一定的中距离投射能力。

四 |          这种打法和恩比德能够形成完美互补，恩比德习惯外线持球发起进攻，艾顿主打无球终结和禁区威慑，两人打法不冲突、可以互相兼容。更关键的是，艾顿和詹姆斯在湖人搭档过完整赛季，两人同时在场时，湖人进攻效率可以达到118.5，挡拆配合和赛场化学反应十分成熟，加盟费城之后几乎不需要磨合，就能快速融入体系。         这笔签约对于艾顿自身来说，也是最优选择。留在奇才只能枯坐板凳，浪费职业生涯黄金期。加盟76人，既能给恩比德担任替补，稳定收获轮换时间，还能再度联手詹姆斯冲击总冠军。

五 | 他可以依靠季后赛的赛场表现提升个人身价，为2027年休赛期争取千万级合同铺路。         除了两名核心备选，76人也考察了其他内线球员。37岁的凯文乐福和詹姆斯在骑士联手拿过总冠军，目前依旧可以保持37.3%的三分球命中率，能够充当空间型5号位，适配特定战术对位。29岁的德鲁·尤班克斯身高2米08，上赛季场均拿到5.2分3篮板，可以充当球队第三中锋应急使用。         但乐福的年龄短板、尤班克斯的实力上限，都决定了两人只能作为临时备选，无法支撑82场常规赛的漫长轮换。

六 | 这也让迈尔斯的核心抉择变得十分清晰，要么签下理查兹锁定稳定即战力，要么等待艾顿买断落地，完成高风险、高回报的豪赌。         对于如今的76人来说，替补中锋的意义不止是简单轮换。恩比德生涯出勤率一直存在隐患，健康状态不够稳定。一名合格的替补中锋，能够让球队在48分钟的比赛里全程守住竞争力，避免出现内线实力断层的问题，这也是球队冲击总冠军的关键拼图。

七 |          兄弟们，你们觉得76人该稳妥签下理查兹，还是冒险等待艾顿买断加盟？谁的加盟能让费城内线实力最大化？欢迎在评论区聊聊你的看法！。