Artificial Intelligence used to predict what will be hot online

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are being used to predict what will be hot and what will flop in the world of online programming, with a success rate of over 80 percent.

Such tech has already been used to help Chinese online video markets improve popular online programs and attract millions of clicks and views, China's leading online video service provider, iQiyi, said.

Next year iQiyi plans to create around 200 programs, with investment of around 10 billion yuan (US$1.5 billion), with the help of AI, which will be used to choose content production aspects like theme and characters, help purchase programs that audiences will enjoy, and classify audiences.

“AI has helped us better understand audience tastes, content production and advertising and marketing,” Gong Yu, chief executive of iQiyi said at a conference held in Shanghai.

Besides iQiyi, top online video firms including Youku, Tudou and Tencent have started enlisting AI technologies too, industry insiders said.

According to the blueprint put forth by the State Council, China’s cabinet, the value of the nation’s core AI industries will exceed 150 billion yuan by 2020, and 400 billion yuan by 2025.

With over 500 million monthly active viewers on iQiyi, AI has become a necessity, Gong said.

China’s per capita GDP is climbing, which will trigger “explosive” demand for digital entertainment services, he added.

iQiyi is in the process of preparing for an initial public offering in 2018, media reported earlier, although the company declined to comment on the issue.