AI trend: What makes AI-generated dramas so addictive to Filipino viewers?

The Sterling family’s complicated affairs, Mr. Blackwood’s mistresses, and the revenge of Serena Sinclair — these fictional characters and plots have become familiar among viewers of artificial intelligence (AI) generated vertical micro-dramas.

Packed with mafia and billionaire romances, revenge, and family wars, these bite-sized stories are finding a growing audience among Filipinos. 

One of them is a 37-year-old writer, with a pen name Xandrea De Calibre, who built a community by creating a Facebook group named “AI Drama Adiks” for AI drama enthusiasts.

Created in August 2026, the group has become a space for its 173,700 members to share AI drama recommendations and opinions.

Among the group’s popular genres are forbidden love and fantasy romance, like these three stories that stood out the most for De Calibre: 

A dark and forbidden romance story between a mafia boss named Allesio Vitale and a young nun named Cecilia. De Calibre said she liked the story because of Alessio’s character development and he had one of the most impactful character arcs among the AI dramas she watched. 

“In our group, Alessio practically became the gateway to the AI drama craze,” De Calibre told ABS-CBN News.

De Calibre described this story as “almost perfect.” The AI drama revolves around a contract marriage between Damien Blackwood, a cursed dragon king, and a human woman named Lily.

A clairvoyant princess named Mabel took the place of her sister Clara to marry the ruthless dragon king after having a vision of Clara’s death.

Beyond their AI-generated characters and visuals, these short dramas draw from a storytelling formula familiar to Filipino audiences: the melodrama.

University of the Philippines professor Louie Jon Sánchez said melodrama features intense emotions, extreme portrayals of good and evil, the suffering of virtuous characters, and the resolution of justice or a happy ending.

“Ang narratives naman kasi ng series, generally speaking, nag-iiba-iba lang base sa konteksto pero mayroon silang mga general na narrative plots… [It] is always a resolution of a mystery or an enigma surrounding a character or a group of people, usually families for example, tungkol sa mga pamilyang mayaman, pamilyang mahirap,” Sanchez, whose research involves Filipino TV dramas, said in an interview.

He also said that the use of melodrama is part of the popular consciousness, with people consuming it as they relate and see themselves in that kind of narrative.

These familiar storylines continue to attract viewers like 57-year old housewife Robina Rosales, for instance, who shared that she doesn’t have a favorite AI-generated drama and just watches whatever pops up while scrolling on Facebook.

“Kapag nagugustuhan [ko], hinahanap [ko] ‘yung ibang episodes,” she said.

China’s State Council Information Office reported that 90% of around 430,000 micro-dramas China released in the first eight months of 2026 were produced using AI.

Sánchez, on the other hand, said that AI-generated vertical dramas are part of the evolution of media technologies.

“AI has a very long history already but what we are seeing so far is the phase where it’s becoming more apparent that this is the new frontier of creation and consumption. So iyong pagiging malapit ng media technologies natin sa generative AI, parte iyan ng pag-evolve ng ating mga media technologies,” he said.

Sánchez also added that the shift from analog to digital media has made AI dramas more accessible, leading audiences to consume them primarily on social media.

“We already know that people like drama series… Kung ang mga Pilipino noon pa man ay mahilig na sa mga serial drama, saan na sila manonood ngayon? Sa social media, sa internet, sa mobile phones… Question na ito ng access. Kung saan nila naaabutan o nasasagap ang drama, doon na sila manonood,” he said.

With cliffhangers or short clips often appearing on Facebook, viewers are also led to search for its succeeding episodes on different apps and websites like Dailymotion, BiliBili, RushDrama, DramaBox, and ReelShort.

However, as AI-generated dramas rise in the media landscape, questions about the ethical implications are becoming harder to ignore. 

Earlier this year, AKTOR (League of Filipino Actors) condemned the unethical use of AI in its statement, advocating for stronger intellectual property rights to protect artists and their creative works.

Sánchez also raised concerns of the possible displacement of writers, actors, and other creative workers as AI takes on more aspects of production. 

“Ano nang mangyayari sa kanila kung ganito na lang kadali na kahit sino pwede mag-produce kung anumang content? Where does that leave us? Pwede natin gamitin ‘yung AI pero tayo pa ring mga tao ang nangingibabaw at nagde-decide kung hanggang saan natin pwede gamitin ‘yung AI.”