Chinese AI generates videos up to 3 minutes long with plot and music

Kunlun Tech, an online game publisher, has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that promises to create short dramas, the latest example of a Chinese company looking to profit from AI-generated content. The tool, called Skyreels, is described as the “world’s first AI-generated short video platform” and can create scripts, characters, plots, storyboards, dialogue and music for videos up to 180 seconds long, according to a demo and statement the company released on its WeChat account on Monday.

The platform uses Kunlun’s own large language models (LLMs) and is notable for outperforming OpenAI’s Sora text-to-video tool, which can create clips up to 60 seconds long. Beijing-based Kunlun Tech has previously launched an AI-powered music streaming platform and a music creation tool called Mureka.

Founded in 2008, Kunlun Tech is known for online games such as “Girl’s Dream Factory” and “Tale of Wuxia.” After going public on the ChiNext stock exchange in Shenzhen in 2015, the company has expanded its reach into the social media and entertainment industries, with an active presence in overseas markets such as Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

In 2022, Kunlun Tech had about 400 million monthly active users worldwide, with 86% of its revenue coming from overseas markets, according to its annual financial report. The company’s shares tripled in value during the height of AI enthusiasm, rising from 14.85 yuan in January to 65.16 yuan in April last year.

Kunlun Tech launched its first major language model, Skywork, in April 2023, and has since expanded its AI products into areas such as web search, music, video games and video, reaching over 1 million daily active users as of May this year.

Kunlun Tech CEO Fang Han said in an interview with Chinese media in June that the opportunities for customer-centric products are unprecedented, thanks to AI, which has significantly reduced the cost of content creation. He added that the company will continue to develop AI products to empower users to create entertainment content.

Via News Agency