Jointly produced by iQIYI and Changxin Media, the fully AI-generated film "Soul Ferry: Floating Life Dream" will be released during this year's summer vacation slot, becoming the first fully AI-generated film to be publicly screened in China. Because all elements in the film—including characters, scenes, editing, and more—are generated by AI, the film has sparked discussion in China's film industry and among netizens over the question of whether "AI can replace real human acting."
According to reports from Hong Kong Economic Times and Chinese media, "Soul Ferry: Floating Life Dream" is the first fully AI-generated work since the famous "Soul Ferry" intellectual property was launched in 2014.
The reports state that every aspect of the film—including the three main characters Zhao Li, Xia Dongqing, Wang Xiaoya, scene design, visual effects, special effects, character voice acting, background music, sound effects, post-production editing, and transitions—was entirely synthesized by AI, achieving pure AI-based creation from content generation to final production. This approach aims to recreate the supernatural atmosphere and classic scenes of the original series.
However, the original creators of "Soul Ferry"—Guo Jingyu, Xiao Jixiangtian, and Ding Kuan—served as the executive producer, screenwriter, and director of "Soul Ferry: Floating Life Dream" respectively, remaining responsible for managing the core story elements throughout the film.
Nevertheless, Guo Jingyu has previously spoken out against the misuse of AI actors, stating, "Why use fake people in a drama that real people can act in?" However, his role as the executive producer for this fully AI-generated film has led many Chinese netizens to criticize him for "double standards." At the same time, this film has sparked discussions about whether Chinese cinema could enter a "fully AI era" and whether this might lead to the decline of the film industry.
In response to these concerns, Guo Jingyu explained that "Soul Ferry: Floating Life Dream" is an "efficiency experiment" aimed at exploring the auxiliary value of AI in intellectual property development and not intended to fully replace human performance.
The reports state that every aspect of the film—including the three main characters Zhao Li, Xia Dongqing, Wang Xiaoya, scene design, visual effects, special effects, character voice acting, background music, sound effects, post-production editing, and transitions—was entirely synthesized by AI, achieving pure AI-based creation from content generation to final production. This approach aims to recreate the supernatural atmosphere and classic scenes of the original series.
However, the original creators of "Soul Ferry"—Guo Jingyu, Xiao Jixiangtian, and Ding Kuan—served as the executive producer, screenwriter, and director of "Soul Ferry: Floating Life Dream" respectively, remaining responsible for managing the core story elements throughout the film.
Nevertheless, Guo Jingyu has previously spoken out against the misuse of AI actors, stating, "Why use fake people in a drama that real people can act in?" However, his role as the executive producer for this fully AI-generated film has led many Chinese netizens to criticize him for "double standards." At the same time, this film has sparked discussions about whether Chinese cinema could enter a "fully AI era" and whether this might lead to the decline of the film industry.
In response to these concerns, Guo Jingyu explained that "Soul Ferry: Floating Life Dream" is an "efficiency experiment" aimed at exploring the auxiliary value of AI in intellectual property development and not intended to fully replace human performance.