Bilibili, a Chinese video-sharing platform, plans to launch an AI tool named “Codename H” to assist in video podcast production. This tool aims to help content creators transition from audio and text formats to video.

“Codename H” will generate visuals automatically based on user inputs such as text and audio. It will offer multiple templates for podcasts and knowledge-sharing content.

Currently, the tool can create a video for a 1,000-word script in six minutes, with plans to reduce this time to three minutes.

Bilibili is working to attract podcast creators this summer, highlighting the potential for growth in video podcasts.

Internal data indicates that video podcast consumption on Bilibili reached 25.9 billion minutes in the first quarter of 2025. This represents a year-on-year increase of over 270%. The platform’s user base for this format has grown to over 40 million.

According to a report from iResearch Consulting, the global number of Chinese podcast users is expected to reach 150 million by 2025.

🔗 Source: AI Base

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ The evolution of AI in creative tools shows a consistent pattern of reducing production barriers

Bilibili’s “Codename H” tool is part of a well-established trajectory of AI-powered creative assistance that began years ago with companies like Adobe, whose Sensei AI initiative launched in 2016 specifically to enhance creative tools for artists and designers 1.

What distinguishes newer tools like “Codename H” is the shift from enhancing human creativity to automating significant portions of the production process, a pattern seen across multiple podcast creation tools like Wondercraft AI (which generates voiceovers without recording) and Monica AI (which converts text to podcasts) 2.

The six-minute processing time for a 1,000-word script demonstrates how AI content generation capability has advanced to handle complex multimedia production, reflecting the maturation of technologies that began with simpler pattern recognition and data analysis in previous decades 3.

This progression follows the broader AI development pattern where capabilities initially limited to specialized domains have expanded to address increasingly complex creative tasks.

2️⃣ Video podcasting represents a strategic growth vector for platforms facing market saturation

Bilibili’s entry into video podcasting with dedicated creator tools comes amid clear industry evidence that video is becoming essential for podcast growth, with traditional audio-only podcasts declining in popularity according to 2025 industry analyses 4.

The 270% year-on-year increase in video podcast consumption on Bilibili aligns with broader industry trends showing audiences increasingly prefer visual content alongside audio, with YouTube emerging as a primary platform for podcast distribution 5.

Recent Bilibili developments