Economic Observer reporter Zhang Rui

AI (Artificial Intelligence) has changed the way manga artist Zhu Gengfu lives.

Zhu Gengfu, 36 years old this year, is a cartoonist. His works are renowned for their ability to create a "Chinese horror" fantasy and suspense style, with representative works including "The Theory of Human Evolution" which explores the weaknesses of human nature. In the industry, Zhu Gengfu is also known as the "Chinese Ito Runer II".

At the beginning of 2026, Zhu Gengfu's animation company decided to fully transform into AI animated series, and he and hundreds of colleagues received notices of "departure" one after another. This result was expected by Zhu Gengfu, but it was still earlier than expected.

From July 16th to 20th, Zhu Gengfu held a live painting event at the 5th KKWORLD Kuaikan Manga Park in Guangzhou, with a single painting fee of 58 yuan. This is what Zhugengfu called 'coming out to set up a stall'.

During an interview with the Economic Observer, Zhu Gengfu talked about his career experience from entering the industry to becoming famous, as well as facing the impact of AI today. He was subconsciously preparing himself: I will eventually be replaced by AI, but not because of technical issues, but because of cost issues.

The following dialogue was interviewed and organized by reporters.

Reporter: How did you enter the comic industry?

Zhu Gengfu: My major in college was environmental art and design. After graduating in 2012, I couldn't find a suitable job, so I started drawing and submitted articles to some comic studios.

My initial style was youth manga, but no one accepted it. Later, a platform said it only accepted horror manga, and then I turned to this direction.

In 2013, I completed my first work 'Nest'. This story mainly tells of a girl who suffers a mental breakdown due to social pressures such as work and mortgage, and hides in a nest on a tree. Then, a strange bird will pick up insects to feed her. This work was taken down due to its strong visual impact and excessive scale.

Later on, I joined Hangzhou Wawayu Animation Design Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Wawayu Studio") and collaborated with the company to create a series of works titled "The Theory of Human Evolution".

From June 25, 2017 to December 5, 2019, the first season of the manga "Human Evolution" was serialized on the Kuaikan Comics platform under Kuaikan World (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd., consisting of 100 episodes, including 8 unit dramas such as "Silent Box", "Mist Island", and "Doll Factory". The main themes explored were the destruction of technology and the shadow of the original family, which explored the seven deadly sins of human nature. At the same time, Wawayu Studio also adapted "The Theory of Human Evolution" into a suspenseful web animation and radio drama.

Wawayu is also a leading animation company in the industry. During my time at Wawayu, it was also a period of relatively stable personal life and work for me. For about ten years, my monthly income from fixed contributions was over 50000 yuan. I thought I would paint like this for a lifetime.

Reporter: When did you perceive the changes in the industry?

Zhu Gengfu: From 2013 to 2026, the comic industry has undergone two major changes. The first time was when the platform switched from print media to mobile phones, and the second time is now AI.

To be honest, AI has lowered the threshold for this industry, which means that both companies and individuals in this industry have to become "involuted" in order to survive - competing with someone who has more production capacity and sleeps less.

In the second half of 2025, I vaguely felt that there would be some adjustments in the company, but when they actually happened, it still felt very sudden. In 2026, Wawayu decided to completely transform into AI anime, and I became unemployed. As far as I know, the animation team I originally belonged to has been completely disbanded, and the company has been reduced from over 200 people to over 50 people.

Before 2026, I updated my works on the Kuaikan Comics platform as an author under the Wawayu brand, only responsible for fixed contributions, and my work was relatively pure. Now, my new work is still being updated by Kuaikan Comics, but I am a personal author who collaborates with Kuaikan Comics.

The biggest impact of AI on me is the decrease in contribution income and the change in my expectations for the future.

I would feel that the future has become highly uncertain and consumption has become more cautious. Previously, my monthly expenses were around 3000 to 4000 yuan, but now I will keep them within 1000 yuan.

I will think more about retirement. Although my survival pressure is not high in terms of economic conditions, considering the need to take care of my family and prepare for my children's future, I want to "save more money", which is an important reason why I decided to "set up a stall".

At present, with the addition of contribution income and "stall" signing, I can still maintain my previous income level, sometimes even higher, but the corresponding work intensity has also increased significantly. However, interacting with fans brings me a lot of freshness, which is more fulfilling than creating at home.

Reporter: Are you worried about being replaced by AI or being "refined"?

Wishing The Farmer：This issue needs to be examined in stages.

Although I left Wawayu due to the impact of AI, I believe that I will not be replaced by AI for the time being. I have my own originality, style, and ideas. Currently, AI can imitate my art style and story, but it still lacks a sense of liveliness.

At present, AI is mostly used as an auxiliary tool, such as turning comics into AI dramas, but the core creative content and style, as well as the soul of the work, still need to be "injected" by humans.

But in the long run, with the development of technology, it is difficult to say to what extent AI capabilities will reach. Perhaps I will eventually be replaced by AI or reach the stage of being refined. I already have this sense of crisis now, and my subconscious seems to be preparing for that moment.

Reporter: Do you think AI will completely replace human creators?

Zhu Gengfu: This may not be determined by technology, but by cost.

I believe that in the future, AI will not be a completely free resource. If you need AI to produce high-quality content, you will definitely need to pay a certain cost. Whether AI will replace humans may not depend on whether AI is effective or not, but on whether the cost of using AI is greater than the cost of hiring people.

Reporter: What is your view on the development trend of "live action+AI" (AI animated series) in the animation industry?

Zhu Gengfu: This is one of the directions for the future development of the animation industry, but not all of them.

In the anime industry, "real people+AI" is not about "AI replacing people", but rather about giving anime stories and characters a stronger sense of "realism". On the other hand, Kuaikan Comic Company is also cultivating more original authors (people), essentially maintaining this sense of "liveliness".

For the public, the value of real idols and celebrities is still higher than that of virtual idols. For example, Hatsune Miku has become a relatively successful virtual idol, but her fans are still far from many real stars. There are also many virtual idols in South Korea, but none of the account data can surpass the real women's group.

Perhaps virtual idols require less investment in the short term compared to real idols, but their long-term returns and operational effectiveness are still inferior to real idols. So ultimately, this issue will be related to factors such as the returns pursued by investors.

Reporter: Apart from AI anime, what do you think about the prospects of domestic anime going global?

Wishing The Farmer：I think it will be much more difficult for Chinese comics to go abroad than for air conditioners and cars.

Because products such as air conditioners and cars rely on practicality and objective performance, which are easy to use, cheap, and durable, consumers will accept them, regardless of cultural identity. However, cultural products are different. Whether a work looks good or not is a subjective judgment, which relies on the audience's recognition of the story, values, and aesthetic system. Behind this recognition, there are deep cultural barriers.

Meanwhile, the overseas cultural product market is a very mature industry system, with its own set of distribution channels, evaluation criteria, and audience preferences. If we want to compete, we will definitely face great challenges. Works like 'Ne Zha' have indeed become popular overseas, but I believe the main audience supporting it is still the Chinese community.

I believe that cultural export is not just about exporting products, it also involves a country's comprehensive discourse power and aesthetic dominance in the international arena, which requires our long-term accumulation and development.

Reporter: What is your retirement plan?

Zhu Gengfu: I come from an ordinary family, and my idea is quite practical. I need to save at least 3 to 4 million yuan, and I also need to have a house under my name in order to put retirement on my agenda.

I am planning to return to my hometown and run my own studio if possible, just to paint for my passion. If one day I don't want to draw anymore, or if the market doesn't need me anymore, I hope I have the courage and confidence to stop.

(Author Zhang Rui)