With continual breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and the expansion of their application scenarios, the digital cultural industry is undergoing an evolutionary process from basic informatization support to deep intelligent integration. This paper first reviews the current state of AI development and the evolution of the digital cultural industry, then explores the enabling roles of AI in two key stages— the Informatization Support Period and the Intelligent Integration Period. Through in-depth analysis of representative application cases—intelligent content creation and recommendation, virtual reality and immersive experiences, digital museums and cultural heritage preservation, and digital performance and virtual idols—this study reveals how technology drives transformations in industry models, user experiences, and value chains. Finally, it looks ahead to AI’s future development in algorithmic innovation, multimodal interaction, ecosystem collaboration, and policy governance, and offers countermeasures for challenges such as data security, copyright protection, and talent cultivation. The research aims to provide government, industry, and academia with a systematic theoretical framework and practical roadmap to support the high-quality, sustainable development of the digital cultural industry.
Yurong Shi (Thu,) studied this question.