New sci-fi drama featuring metaverse staged in China's Shenzhen

Photo taken on July 28, 2022 shows an experience hall of metaverse technologies during the Global Digital Economy Conference 2022 at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)

SHENZHEN, March 14 (Xinhua) -- A new Chinese sci-fi drama featuring the metaverse and artificial intelligence (AI) has been staged recently in Shenzhen, an innovation hub in south China's Guangdong Province.

Set in the year of 2050, "Yunshen" portrays a society where people can create personalized avatars in the "cloud" to assist them with daily tasks, thanks to the revolutionary development of metaverse technology.

By depicting how "cloud avatars" develop their own personalities over time, the drama presents a philosophical exploration of morality, ethics and responsibility.

"We hope the audience can imagine and discuss what the future of humanity could be like, and what kind of life would be ideal," said Chen Yuehong, one of the screenwriters and head of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech).

The drama was co-produced by SUSTech and Shenzhen University.

Chinese sci-fi movies have achieved great success in recent years. "The Wandering Earth II," the latest Chinese sci-fi blockbuster, has raked in over 4 billion yuan (about 580 million U.S. dollars) as of Tuesday, according to box office tracker Maoyan.

"As sci-fi novels and movies capture people's attention, we have shifted our focus to producing original sci-fi dramas," said Wu Yan, a renowned Chinese sci-fi writer and one of the screenwriters of "Yunshen."

The continuous development of AI and metaverse technology is challenging people's understanding of their careers, lifestyles, and the relationship between humans and the virtual world, and the drama also tries to discuss these issues, Wu said.