AI-powered advancements in camera modules amidst the short video boom.

As short videos become a nationwide content creation and dissemination platform, from everyday sharing on Douyin and Kuaishou to professional Vlogs on Bilibili, from real-time live-streaming e-commerce to visual presentations of knowledge dissemination, the creative enthusiasm of hundreds of millions of users has been continuously ignited. This wave of nationwide participation in creation has brought about an explosive demand for camera modules, and the deep penetration of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has become the core force driving camera modules to break through performance bottlenecks and achieve a qualitative leap. It not only allows modules to adapt to the diverse scenarios of short video creation but also propels them from "passive acquisition" to "active intelligence," completing the advancement from "capturing and clearly capturing" to "capturing well and skillfully," enabling camera modules to achieve further development in the era of nationwide creation.

The popularity of short videos has activated the market demand for camera modules, while the addition of AI has amplified the depth and breadth of this demand, driving a dual improvement in market scale and efficiency. In the past, demand for camera modules was mainly concentrated in traditional sectors such as smartphones and surveillance equipment. The explosion of short videos has led to a surge in demand for various devices, including smartphones, action cameras, panoramic cameras, and live streaming cameras. AI technology has further enhanced the competitiveness of camera modules in these devices, unlocking market potential. Data shows that the Chinese smart camera market reached 128.72 billion yuan in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 18.5%, and is projected to grow to 141.59 billion yuan in 2026. Consumer-grade camera modules integrating AI technology contributed the core growth, with shipments reaching 53.4539 million units. Short video creators upgrade their devices 2.3 times more frequently than ordinary users, and they prioritize devices equipped with AI smart modules. AI has transformed camera modules from mere hardware into core components with both "data acquisition" and "intelligent processing" capabilities, driving the industry's transformation from "scale expansion" to "value enhancement."

The deep integration of AI technology has completely shattered the industry misconception of "pixel count above all else," driving the transformation of camera modules from "pixel stacking" to "comprehensive performance upgrades." This is particularly evident in short video creation scenarios. In short video creation, users are no longer satisfied with simply "capturing" the footage; they crave "high-quality, textured" shots—high definition in backlit scenes, subtle glow in nighttime neon lights, smooth and clear motion, and detailed macro photography. These demands are difficult to achieve with high pixel counts alone, but the synergy between AI algorithms and module hardware precisely addresses this pain point. AI enables camera modules to "complement hardware deficiencies with software and amplify hardware advantages," forcing the industry to move beyond simple pixel competition and focus on the deep integration of sensors, lenses, and AI algorithms, driving a leap forward in overall module performance.

The sensor, as the "core heart" of the camera module, achieves precise performance release and efficiency upgrades under the empowerment of AI. In short video shooting, complex scenes such as backlighting, night scenes, and motion are frequent, making the problems of insufficient light intake and limited dynamic range of traditional small-sensor cameras increasingly prominent. Users often face problems such as overexposure in highlights, loss of detail in shadows, and motion blur. The addition of AI technology maximizes the performance of sensors: OmniVision's OV50X sensor uses a 1-inch optical format, combined with AI intelligent noise reduction algorithms and TheiaCel™ technology, improving the dynamic range to 110dB. This not only effectively solves the motion artifact problem of traditional multi-frame synthesis solutions, but also automatically adjusts the sensor's light intake parameters through real-time AI analysis of the lighting environment. This allows mobile phones to shoot night scene and backlight video effects close to those of professional cameras, marking the official entry of flagship camera modules into the new era of "one-inch + AI". This deep collaboration between AI and sensors significantly improves the noise control and dynamic range performance of camera modules in low-light environments, perfectly adapting to the diverse needs of short video creation. It also allows mid-to-low-end sensors to achieve shooting effects close to those of high-end sensors, lowering the threshold for high-end modules.

Upgrades in lens and focusing technology, enhanced by AI, have achieved "precision and intelligence," further adapting to the professional needs of short video creation. The widespread use of techniques such as camera movement, tracking shots, macro, and telephoto in short video shooting places higher demands on lens resolution, aperture size, and focusing speed. Previously, mid-range models mostly used ordinary lenses, which were insufficient for the professional needs of short video creation. Now, the integration of AI technology with lenses and focusing systems has completely changed this situation. Periscope telephoto module shipments have increased by over 100% year-on-year. Combined with AI optical image stabilization algorithms, they can compensate for camera shake in real time, allowing ordinary users to easily achieve professional-level camera movements. QPD four-phase detection autofocus technology, combined with AI subject tracking algorithms, achieves 100% coverage of focus points, accurately identifying people and objects in short video shooting. Even with frequent scene changes, it can quickly lock focus, avoiding blurry images. The Honor ROBOT Phone features a gimbal camera arm with a mechanical structure, incorporating AI intelligent tracking algorithms to achieve 4DoF gimbal stabilization and accurately capture every movement of the subject, making short video creation more professional. Furthermore, O-Film's mass-produced 8P high-pixel main camera and triple-group continuous zoom, combined with AI algorithm optimization, further enhance lens resolution and zoom smoothness, meeting the high-quality material requirements of AI-generated content.

If hardware upgrades are the foundation for camera module advancement, then the innovation of AI image processing algorithms is the "finishing touch" for adapting to short video creation and the core of driving the module's "intelligent" upgrade. Short video creation pursues "instant output," allowing users to obtain high-quality works without complex post-production. This demand drives the deep integration of camera modules and AI algorithms, ushering in the era of end-to-end AI computational photography. The vivo X200 Ultra employs a dual-chip collaborative architecture, combining the self-developed VS1 pre-processing AI ISP chip and the V3+ imaging chip. The former handles real-time RAW domain data optimization, while the latter performs fine-tuning adjustments such as color and noise reduction, reducing noise in night portrait scenes by 35% and improving clarity in telephoto macro shots by 50%. It also supports 4K 120fps recording across all focal lengths, meeting the demands of high-definition short video creation. The Ezviz Blue Ocean Model further empowers the camera module, supporting the recognition of over 7,100 bird species and warnings for 36 categories of dangerous animals, enriching the contextualized experience of short video creation. Furthermore, the addition of AI scene recognition and stylized rendering allows users to easily create short videos with different styles, such as cinematic and retro, further lowering the creative threshold. The AI ​​portrait optimization algorithm automatically smooths and brightens skin while preserving skin texture, making portrait short videos more textured. All of this is inseparable from the deep integration of AI technology and the camera module, upgrading the module from a "content acquisition tool" to an "intelligent creation assistant."

AI has not only driven the upgrade of consumer-grade camera modules but also expanded their application boundaries, spurring the rise of emerging niche markets and further advancing module development. To meet the demands of short video live streaming and outdoor content creation, the demand for camera modules in devices such as action cameras, panoramic cameras, and AI glasses has surged. The core competitiveness of these modules lies in the empowerment of AI technology. AI glasses come standard with cameras of 10 megapixels or higher, and their AI dynamic image stabilization and real-time image optimization algorithms can meet the needs of outdoor short video creation, with a single camera module even exceeding the value of a similarly configured mobile phone camera. Live streaming-specific camera modules incorporate AI real-time noise reduction, AI autofocus, and AI beautification algorithms, becoming essential equipment for live streamers and significantly improving the quality of live streaming footage. Meanwhile, AI camera modules have also achieved breakthroughs in security and industrial fields, automatically identifying abnormal behavior and triggering alarms, and accurately detecting product defects, driving the extension of camera modules from consumer to industrial levels and opening up new growth opportunities. This also confirms the role of AI in expanding the application boundaries of camera modules.

From the perspective of industry competition, the popularization of AI has accelerated industry reshuffling, prompting leading manufacturers to focus on technological innovation and vertical integration, further driving the camera module industry towards high-end and intelligent upgrades. Leading companies such as Sunny Optical, O-Film, and Q Technology have increased their R&D investment in AI-related camera modules, building a complete industry chain capability encompassing "lens-motor-sensor-module-AI algorithm," and seizing the high-end market through technological advantages. Among them, O-Film, as a core supplier of AI mobile phone camera modules, covers 90% of Android brands and holds a 50% market share with Huawei. Its mass-produced world's first 200-megapixel microscopic telephoto module supports AI image super-resolution processing and has deep partnerships with leading brands such as Huawei and Apple, increasing the value of a single camera module from the traditional 30-50 yuan to 500-600 yuan. Meanwhile, smaller manufacturers are focusing on niche scenarios, launching high-performance AI modules suitable for short video creation, forming differentiated competition. Meanwhile, the domestic supply chain has also ushered in development opportunities. Companies like OmniVision Technologies have achieved breakthroughs in the field of high-end sensors, and by combining AI algorithm optimization, they have broken the monopoly of international companies, driving the continuous increase in the market share of domestic camera modules in the short video market.

In summary, the nationwide popularity of short videos has brought explosive demand for camera modules, while the deep empowerment of artificial intelligence technology has enabled camera modules to achieve further development. It has broken the limitations of the "pixel-only" approach, driving the upgrade of modules from "hardware stacking" to "software-hardware synergy"; it has optimized the overall performance of modules, allowing ordinary users to easily achieve professional-level short video creation; and it has expanded the application boundaries of modules, extending from the consumer level to the industrial level, opening up new growth space. In the future, with the continuous iteration of AI technology and the continuous upgrading of short video creation needs, the integration of AI and camera modules will become more profound. Intelligent sensor adaptation, precise lens control, and efficient algorithm optimization will become the core directions of industry development. It can be said that AI is not only a "catalyst" for the iteration of camera modules under the short video craze, but also a core driving force for its qualitative leap and advancement into the intelligent era, allowing this core hardware to unleash stronger development vitality in an era of mass creation.