According to official data from Tomato Novel, the number of new books released in 2025 increased by an astonishing 1302% compared to the previous year, rising from 400 to 5606. At the same time, several online literature editors have told AIbase that they receive 7-8 AI-generated long articles daily, leading some to take "self-protection" measures by closing their email accounts. Recently, platforms have upgraded their "AI trace detection + manual sampling" dual mechanisms, and some new authors have experienced a sharp drop in traffic due to mistaken identification.
Xiao Li, a mid-level author with three serials each with over 10,000 subscribers, said the impact of AI on him is limited: "More than 95% of new writers using AI can't sustain writing 200,000 words, because online literature core is 'real-time service'—when fans comment 'give me some sugar,' I can change the plot that same night, which AI cannot do." He pointed out that AI assistance is mainly used for naming and polishing, while the main plot and emotional rhythm still require human control.
The voice acting market has also seen price reductions and expansion due to AI. Teacher Q, a voice actor, explained that the cost of AI audiobook production has dropped by about 60%, driving a surge in demand for short dramas and audio adaptations of online novels. His studio has shifted its focus from traditional films to an "AI rough cut + human refinement" model, with orders doubling compared to last year.
Industry experts believe that AI is pushing the online literature industry towards "two extremes": the entry barrier for newcomers is further lowered, but platform traffic and income are concentrating among "semi-human" authors who can master AI and also have reader engagement skills; purely AI-generated content without continuous interaction and emotional adjustment still has low completion rates and income.
