AI-animated film promotes China's ecological conservation model to the world

An AI-animated gibbon named Loongloong is starring in a new short film that promotes China's ecological conservation model to a global audience.

The film, Whispers from the Canopy: Gibbon Loongloong's Global Journey, follows the character as it evolves from a local wildlife observer in Hainan province's tropical rainforest into an international advocate. Its journey illustrates the Chinese environmental concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", also known as the "two mountains" concept.

Producers used a state-of-the-art AI large language model with a specialized low-rank adaptation component to ensure the animated gibbon maintained consistent expressions and movements across diverse international settings and outfits.

"We wanted the audience to feel the heartbeat of the forest," the film's director said. An AI visual architect on the project added that the technology allowed them to "recreate environments with emotional authenticity and visual spectacle, turning data into empathy".

The narrative showcases real-world ecological restoration projects. It unfolds as Loongloong joins the "Eco Ambassador" campaign, embarking on a globe-trotting mission. From Africa's Sahel zone, where grid-patterned tamarisk forests halt desertification, to the Amazon's canopy where parrots and sloths pioneer "aerial seeding" to heal deforested gaps, the film illustrates ecological restoration in action. In Australia's Great Barrier Reef, parrotfish "renovate" coral beds with their nutrient-rich droppings, while in the Arctic, a polar bear's struggle on melting ice underscores climate urgency.

The project aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on climate action and life on land, showcasing how China's "two mountains" concept offers transferable and replicable approaches. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the "two mountains" concept.

In the film's conclusion, the character Loongloong rejects the title of "Eco Ambassador", declaring that the honor belongs to all species fighting for survival. The final message underscores that environmental progress is achieved by working with nature, not conquering it.