The Shanghai Bureau of Culture and Tourism recently officially released the "Several Measures for Accelerating the High-quality Development of AI-powered Micro-Short Plays in Shanghai" (referred to as the "Shanghai 8 Measures"). The measures introduce 24 initiatives across eight aspects, aiming to transform Shanghai into a national hub for the "AI + Micro-Short Play" industry through substantial technical support and comprehensive element guarantees. The policy clearly outlines the layout of a city-level "AI + Micro-Short Play" pilot base, offering financial support of up to 10 million yuan for AI micro-short play projects that are independently developed and recognized by the market, with funding covering 20% of actual R&D investment.

At the same time, Shanghai will focus on four core elements: computing power, models, language data, and IP, and provide rewards of up to 3 million yuan for outstanding micro-short play projects. To improve service efficiency, the policy introduces a "2+5" rapid review mechanism, completing planning approval within 2 working days and online approval within 5 working days. Additionally, a micro-short play overseas base will be established in Pudong New Area, with rewards of up to 500,000 yuan for outstanding overseas enterprises.

This series of strong policies is issued at a critical moment when the AI micro-short play industry is experiencing explosive growth. Following the first year of the AI comic drama boom in 2025, approximately 128,000 micro-short plays were launched in the first quarter of 2026, with AI micro-short plays accounting for over 95%. Due to AI significantly reducing production costs and lowering cross-cultural risks, overseas per-episode revenue has outperformed domestic performance, making full-process AI integration an inevitable trend.

With the background of the accelerated formation of three key clusters in Xuhui, Yangpu, and Minhang districts, the "Shanghai 8 Measures" have completed policy upgrades, marking Shanghai's transition from the initial "Flowers" plan policy trial to a new stage characterized by "systematic regulation" and "scaled support." This not only positions Shanghai at the value chain of AI short play exports but also transforms its early advantages into an unshakable industrial barrier.