The Commercial Year of AI Video: Who Is Making Money

2026 is widely regarded as the first year of commercialization for AI video generation. From advertising to short dramas to e-commerce, AI video is entering real business scenarios.

Technology Inflection Point
Products like Runway, Kling, Hailuo, and Vidu have reached commercial thresholds in consistency, duration, and motion control. First-last frame control enables narrative content, and digital human presenters have largely replaced live-action recording.

Main Revenue Paths
1. Ad creatives: Batch-generate A/B test assets for feed ads, cost down to one-tenth
2. Short dramas: AI generates storyboards and shots, production cycles compressed from weeks to days
3. E-commerce: Automated production of product videos and detail page dynamic assets
4. Education/training: Course lecture videos recorded with digital humans — unlimited clones

Who's Making Money
The earliest winners are "tool + service" middlemen: teams taking video orders with AI tools, bloggers teaching AI video tutorials, and vertical-scene template sites.

Risk Notes
1. Copyright and portrait rights compliance is still being worked out
2. Content quality varies — human review needed
3. Platform policies can change anytime

Verdict: The commercial value of AI video is clear. The competition is about scenario understanding and delivery quality, not the tool itself.