Chinese artificial intelligence applications are generating increasingly sophisticated video content that closely mimics Hollywood productions, sparking alarm across the entertainment industry about copyright infringement and the future of creative content.

Clips featuring popular characters like Deadpool and Spider-Man, generated entirely by AI tools developed in Shenzhen and Beijing, have gone viral on social media platforms, drawing sharp criticism from major studios including Disney and Warner Bros.

“This is an existential threat to our industry,” said one senior studio executive who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The technology has advanced far beyond what anyone predicted even six months ago.”

The controversy comes at a particularly sensitive moment in US-China tech relations, with Washington already imposing sweeping restrictions on advanced chip exports to China. Industry analysts say the AI video generation capabilities demonstrate that Chinese tech firms are finding innovative workarounds despite these restrictions.

Beijing has responded by noting that AI-generated content falls into a regulatory grey area under current international copyright law, and has called for multilateral negotiations rather than unilateral action.