Why AI-generated pet dramas have taken social media by storm

Why AI-generated pet dramas have taken social media by storm

AI-generated pet dramas, short and melodramatic animal tales, are taking the internet by storm.

A South China Morning Post report revealed that such videos are racking up views in the hundreds of millions, and turning their creators into influencers.

The trend is reshaping online storytelling by combining artificial intelligence with pet emotions.

The appeal of these digital dramas lies not in the animals themselves but in the emotions they carry. By personifying pets with human struggles, creators exploit our empathy.

Downtrodden ginger cat is a sensation

One notable example of this trend is a 59-second video featuring a downtrodden ginger cat.

The clip shows the cat being mocked by a white cat and her wealthy dog partner, only to reinvent himself as a construction worker turned millionaire.

By early June, this saga had already racked up nearly 150 million views.

Its creator, known as Ansheng, told SCMP that the clip "brought in more than a million followers in less than two months."

How much do these creators earn?

Ansheng claimed that a single video with over 10 million views could earn between CNY 1,200 and 2,000 (₹14,370-24,000), amounting to about CNY 20,000 (2.4 lakh) per month.

He said he had only made CNY 50 (₹600) for an eight million-view video on a local platform.

This prompted him to switch to overseas hosts with friendlier payouts.

Dogs are also stars in China

The trend of AI-generated pet dramas isn't limited to cats. In mainland China, dog mini-dramas are winning over audiences with their fairy-tale twists.

One series has a humble Bichon Frise as a disguised princess who faces palace bullying before finding her "Prince Charming."

These episodes not only entertain viewers but also serve as product endorsements for pet shampoos and pasta sauce, thus blurring the line between storytelling and advertising.