COL Group has launched COL AI Studios, a new entertainment vertical designed to help platforms, studios and brands develop, test and scale content beyond traditional licensing deals.
The studio builds on a distribution network that now counts over 5,000 live-action titles, up from a base of just over 1,000 when the network first launched, with content sourced from the United States, Europe, Southeast Asia and China. COL AI Studios adds a development layer that can move proven IP and original concepts into animation, short-form and long-form series, advertising, branded entertainment and live action.
The launch comes as generative production tools make content creation faster and more accessible, a shift that has also driven a surge in programming built mainly for speed and volume. COL AI Studios is positioning itself differently, pairing established creative teams, commercially tested IP and audience data with what it calls responsible AI, aiming for stronger storytelling and franchise longevity rather than sheer output.
The company frames AI as one production method among several rather than a finished product, arguing it can help creators and partners test ideas and gauge audience response before greenlighting bigger-budget productions.
COL Group’s library of more than 5,000 titles sits at the center of the model, built in part on thousands of commercially proven microdrama titles and backed by a roster exceeding 500 creative and production personnel – among them writers, directors, producers, editors and artists – based in Los Angeles, China and Southeast Asia. The company’s existing studio operations have already delivered more than 300 AI productions.
For partners, the new studio widens the path for IP development, running from licensing and localization through animation, AI-powered production, branded entertainment and potentially premium live action. COL AI Studios is also pushing into branded AI entertainment, working with commercial partners to tap into the company’s creative and production network.
Some early projects have already scaled into franchises. “Love Missions Across the Galaxy” has grown into a three-season franchise with localized versions in more than 10 languages, reaching number one in five overseas language markets. Several other AI-native titles are moving toward live-action development.
Timothy Oh, general manager of COL Group International, said, “AI is ultimately another way of delivering a story. It can help creators and platforms understand how a concept performs before making the larger commitment required for live action. But greater access to these tools does not automatically lead to better entertainment, so storytelling, creative direction and responsible use of the technology still have to come first.”
The company says protecting original IP and respecting creators remain central to how it applies the technology, positioning AI as a tool to strengthen development rather than replace the people driving it.
Ray Tong, CEO of COL Group, said, “In China, AI-powered content is increasingly becoming part of mainstream storytelling, and we have had the opportunity to learn from that evolution first-hand. We now want to bring that experience to international platforms and brands, while recognizing that different markets will have different levels of receptiveness.”