iQIYI embraces short-form content and AI innovation

The annual iQIYI World Conference kicked off on Wednesday for a two-day run, featuring strategic updates from CEO Gong Yu and other senior executives. The event spotlighted the company's latest developments in business strategy, technological innovation and content creation, along with industry insights.

Wang Xiaohui, iQIYI's chief content officer, identified "short" as the keyword for 2025—referring to shorter runtimes for micro-dramas, fewer episodes in TV series, and more compact films. This marks a critical year of transformation, he said. While long-form video remains iQIYI's core offering, the company is expanding into micro-dramas, short dramas, long dramas and films as part of a diversified content strategy.

As part of this shift, the iQIYI Express app will be rebranded as iQIYI Micro-Drama, focusing exclusively on micro-drama content. The platform will continuously roll out fresh titles through a variety of new initiatives.

"In the current era of attention scarcity, the film and television industry must adapt to the times, the environment, and the demands of the audience," Gong Yu said.

One of the key announcements was the official launch of "Skip Watch", an AI-powered feature that allows users to navigate content more efficiently. By analyzing video frames, the technology identifies narrative highlights—key moments that drive the story forward. Users can swipe up or down to jump between these highlights, creating a highly personalized and engaging viewing experience.

Liu Wenfeng, iQIYI's chief technology officer, explained that as user behavior data accumulates, the AI model will continuously improve, generating multiple versions of the same content, such as full-length, 35-minute edits, or 20-minute quick cuts, tailored to individual preferences.

"With 'Skip Watch', we're putting control in the hands of users and rethinking content and product design based on user attention," Liu said at the conference.

Another major launch at the conference was "Tao Dou", a personal AI assistant designed to enhance the interactive user experience. Tao Dou provides intelligent services including content search, recommendations, customer support, and even real-time discussions about shows.

It joins the broader "Tao Dou World" project, which iQIYI introduced in 2024. To date, nearly 1,000 AI-driven IP characters have held over one billion conversations with its users. These characters retain their unique personalities, language styles and worldviews, enabling continuous, real-time fan interaction.

AI is also playing an increasing role behind the scenes. Tools such as script and image workshops, virtual production and digital asset libraries are showcased—all designed to lower the barrier to entry for young creatives. The company also unveiled the upgraded version of its self-developed QClip all-in-one system, which significantly improves production efficiency by enabling cloud-based workflows and further advances the industrialization of film and television production.

Lastly, iQIYI revealed details of its upcoming iQIYI Parks in Yangzhou and Kaifeng cities. These immersive, offline entertainment spaces will feature film and television IP experiences as their core attraction, combining storytelling with spatial design for an integrated, on-site fan experience.