China's National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) will launch a nationwide, month-long special campaign starting January 1, 2026, to curb the spread of improperly altered "AI mashup" videos, according to a notice released by the administration on Wednesday. 

With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (AI), some online accounts have misused AI tools to radically distort, parody or vulgarize classic films, TV dramas and animated works, triggering public concern, said the administration.

The campaign will focus on removing AI-altered videos based on TV productions drawn from the Four Great Classical Novels, which are A Dream of Red Mansions, Outlaws of the Marsh, Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, historical and revolutionary themes, as well as portrayals of heroes and role models. Targeted content includes videos that seriously deviate from the original spirit and character portrayals, promote violence, sensationalism, or vulgarity, convey distorted values, or undermine public morality. 

Authorities will also address prominent cases of misappropriation or distortion of Chinese culture that lead to misconceptions about history, cultural symbols and national identity. In addition, so-called "cult-style" animations generated by altering children's beloved cartoon characters will be removed.

The campaign requires online audio-visual platforms to fulfill their primary responsibility, strengthen content review and management, resolutely remove non-compliant content, and take action against accounts that significantly contribute to these issues. These measures aim to curb the spread of undesirable trends such as AI-altered videos, thereby creating a healthier cyberspace for the growth of minors.

The campaign represents a further deepening of a series of previous rectification efforts. As early as December 2024, the Network Audiovisual Program Management Department of the NRTA issued a Management Guidance (on AI-altered Content), noting that such videos seek to gain viewership by indiscriminately desecrating classic IPs, undermining traditional cultural recognition, deviating from the original works' core spirit, and potentially constituting infringement. 

The management guidance notes that such AI-altered classics include turning Empresses in the Palace into a "gunplay film," adapting A Dream of the Red Mansions into a "kung fu drama," or depicting Sun Wukong as the Monkey King riding away on a motorcycle. 

In November, the NRTA issued a work guidance to launch a specialized initiative targeting harmful online animated mini-dramas and short videos. This marked the first time that AI-generated content (AIGC), comics, emoticon-based mini-dramas, and other animated formats were incorporated into a categorized and tiered review system. The initiative aims to create a clean and clear cyberspace for minors by strengthening pre-release reviews, removing non-compliant content, and regulating broadcasting. 

After the new campaign concludes, the NRTA said it will review the results and further develop long-term governance measures to improve regulatory mechanisms and ensure sustained and normalized oversight.