Powered by LightX2V inference framework to enable low‑cost, high-throughput video generation

HONG KONG, Dec. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SenseTime launched its Seko 2.0, a multi-episode drama generation agent tailored for short drama and motion comic creators. Supporting production up to 100-episode series, Seko 2.0 ensures consistency in characters, scenes, and props across episodes. It significantly boosts production efficiency, reducing comic drama production time by 80% to 90% compared to traditional methods. 

Seko 2.0 is powered by SenseTime’s open‑source LightX2V framework, the industry’s first inference framework capable of real‑time video generation. This innovative framework allows for cost-effective and high-throughput video production.

Supporting 100-episode series generation  
First launched in July 2025, Seko attracted over 100,000 creators within two months and its user base surpassed 200,000 in less than half a year, 30% of which were short drama creators and 20% comic drama creators. 

The new Seko 2.0 further lowers the creative threshold and enables more efficient video production. Its key upgraded features include: 

• A revamped User Interface (UI) with optimized visual presentation, delivering an immersive creative experience.
• Multi-episode generation capability with long-context management, supporting the creation up to 100 episodes.
• Intelligent Agent scheduling, enabling flexible association of characters, scenes, and props across episodes, with character makeup and styling adaptable to different scenarios.

Xu Li, Chairman of the Board and CEO of SenseTime, stated: “Seko will open a door for people, who have creative imagination, but lack of professional production capabilities, so they can truly enter the creative ecosystem and unleash their imagination.” He added that, as AI capabilities continue to evolve, the quality of generated episodes will gradually move up, generating both refined “high-brow” works and popular “low-brow” content that can coexist harmoniously. 

AI comic and short dramas have experienced an explosive growth in China. Data shows that the supply of comic dramas in mainland China surged at compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 83% in the first half of this year. Meanwhile, more than 3,000 works were produced with total revenues jumping by 12 times. Many individual creators and small teams have joined this creative trend, some even taking it as their second career. 

Enabling multi-person lip-sync & audio-visual synchronization 
Most existing AI video generation products on the market only support single-episode short films or clip production. To meet creators’ urgent demand for high-quality, large-scale multi-episode production, Seko 2.0 achieves two core technology breakthroughs: 

1) SekoIDX: Achieving character consistency across multi-episode and cross-shot scenarios
Maintaining character consistency across episodes and shots has long been an industry challenge. Traditional generation methods often result in characters appearing as “copied and pasted” (lacking vividness) or “unrecognizable” when responding to new motion or expression promots. By introducing “negative reference images” in the high-noise phase of diffusion models, SekoIDX ensures character consistency across multi-episode and cross-shot content while avoiding excessive similarity to reference images. It also maintains high stability when responding to commands for different expressions, poses, and scenes. 

2) SekoTalk: Realizing multi-person lip-sync and natural audio-visual synchronization
Traditional digital human technology often suffers from inaccurate lip-sync in complex scenarios involving multi-language and multi-person interactions. As the industry’s first solution supporting lip-sync for more than two people, SekoTalk achieves highly precise audio-visual synchronization from single-person to multi-person interactions through a series of innovative designs, whether for daily conversations, intense arguments, or group counting. 

These underlying technology breakthroughs directly translate to a leap in productivity. Under the traditional workflow, a team would typically take over three months to complete 50 episodes. With Seko 2.0, the comic drama production cycle can be reduced by 80% to 90%. Seko’s comprehensive features make it feasible for independent creators to produce videos in a “one-person crew” model. 

• Explore SekoTalk, built on LightX2V and SenseTime’s generation model, enabling multi‑person lip‑sync and natural audio‑visual synchronization for videos: http://sekotalk.com/

Adapting to domestic solutions  
Multi-episode creation of AI short dramas and comic dramas involves a large number of shots. A single 5-second video requires generating nearly 100,000 tokens, and 10 to 20 shots can result in a total token demand of 1 to 2 million. 

To address this challenge, SenseTime has developed Phased DMD Distillation technology, which can significantly reduce the overall cost of multi-episode generation. By combining phased distillation with a Mixture of Experts (MoE) model, it allows different models to specialize in different stages of the generation process, substantially improving overall model capability and efficiency without increasing inference costs. 

SenseTime has also open-sourced LightX2V, the industry’s first inference framework enabling real-time video generation. Through optimizations such as DiT distillation acceleration, lightweight VAE, and sparse attention, it achieves low-cost real-time video generation. LightX2V can generate a 5-second video on consumer-grade graphics cards in under 5 seconds, significantly outperforming Sora2, which takes several minutes. To date, it has accumulated over 5.3 million downloads and has gained widespread popularity among creators worldwide.

• Serve a custom generation model with LightX2V: https://github.com/ModelTC/LightX2V
• Try the distilled lora trained by LightX2V team: https://huggingface.co/lightx2v/
• Experience LightX2V online for free: https://x2v.light-ai.top/login

On domestic chip platforms, Seko can achieve generation effects comparable to international chip platforms in similar timeframes. International chip platforms can generate 1.25 seconds of video per second of operation, while domestic chip platforms generate 1.0625 seconds per second. With domestic chip performance improving and ecosystem maturing, this gap is expected to further narrow down. 

In the future, SenseTime will also offer domestic solution options for Seko creators, ushering in a low-cost era of AI video creation with extreme cost-performance ratio. 

Topping Douyin’s AI short drama chart  
In the comic and short drama market, Seko has successfully incubated a series of hit shows, including the live-action short drama “Wan Xin Ji“, which topped Douyin’s AI Short Drama Chart. Works such as “I Built a Doomsday Fortress on the Mountain Top” and “Yin Shen Lu” have also gained widespread attention. 

In the high-quality film and television sector, Seko has officially reached a strategic partnership with Yangtze River Film Group, a leading enterprise in the film and television industry. The two parties will jointly explore the integrated innovation of “Generative AI (AIGC) + Film and Television,” planning to launch a series of short dramas based on Jingchu cultural and historical stories next year. The two sides will also co-incubate theatrical-level AIGC films, promoting the integration of AI creative tools into professional film and television production processes. 

Distinguished UTM alumnus and national leader honoured for his leadership, scholarship, and impact on global standing.

JOHOR BAHRU, Malaysia, Dec. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — After an illustrious 37-year career in academia and public service, Dato’ Seri Ir. Dr. Zaini Ujang, one of Malaysia’s most respected administrators and scholars, has been conferred the title of Professor Emeritus in conjunction with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s 69th Convocation Ceremony.

A Distinguished Career of Service and Leadership

As a proud double alumnus of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Dr. Zaini earned a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (1988) before pursuing a PhD in Environmental Engineering at Newcastle University. An internationally recognized scholar, he has authored over 250 scientific papers and 36 books, including Ecoshift: Holistic Transformation towards Environmental Sustainability (2018) and Japanese Ecosophy: A Traveller’s Notes (2019). His research excellence in water engineering and sustainability has earned him fellowships at renowned institutions including MIT, Imperial College London, Tsukuba, and Lund University.

Additionally, Dr. Zaini’s appointment as Vice-Chancellor of UTM from 2008 to 2013 marked a historical milestone, as the first UTM alumnus and youngest individual to lead a public university in Malaysia. He remains the only Malaysian to have served as Secretary-General of five key ministries, namely Higher Education, Health, Human Resources, Environment and Water, and Energy, Green Technology and Water. Moreover, as the Chairman of the Technical Committee for the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2015–2025, Dr. Zaini played a pivotal role in shaping Malaysia’s higher education transformation agenda. These leadership roles reflect his extraordinary versatility and impact on national development.

Dr Zaini’s professional journey, from being a UTM academic to Vice-Chancellor, policymaker, and global ambassador, exemplifies the transformative leadership that UTM continues to nurture. His long-standing commitment to knowledge, ethics, and service certainly underscores UTM’s vision of producing graduates who lead with intellect and integrity, advancing both national progress and global collaboration,

Even beyond retirement, Dr. Zaini continues to serve the nation. In March 2025, he was reappointed as Chairman of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), reaffirming his continued leadership in shaping Malaysia’s higher education quality standards and global benchmarking. Through this role, he continues to guide academic governance and innovation, ensuring Malaysia’s education system remains internationally competitive and aligned with future skills demands in sustainability and digital transformation.

Expanding Malaysia’s Knowledge Agenda: 100-Day World Lecture Tour

Following his retirement from public service in March 2025, he embarked on a new transformative academic mission, the 100-Day World Lecture Tour, marking the close of a remarkable 37-year journey that reshaped Malaysia’s higher education and environmental landscape.

Spanning 15 countries and more than 40 world-leading universities and research institutions, the tour, held between April and July 2025, served as a platform to promote Malaysia’s “culture of knowledge” on the global stage.

Throughout his travels, Dr. Zaini met with academic and research leaders in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Sweden, and Turkiye, among others. He delivered more than 40 lectures, engaged with 10 university presidents, and fostered international partnerships aimed at strengthening Malaysia’s higher education and research ecosystems. His lectures and dialogues emphasized how cross-cultural collaboration, environmental ethics, and innovation are central in shaping the future of universities.

“It is important to broaden global perspectives in higher education and strengthen international academic collaboration to deliver meaningful benefits to Malaysia, particularly its institutions of higher learning.” Said DS Ir. Ts. Dr Zaini.

Following his return, he initiated a series of sharing sessions across Malaysian higher learning institutions, inspiring academics and students to “build knowledge networks without borders” and to translate global insights into meaningful local change.

“Exposure to the cultures and education systems of various countries provides academics with significant opportunities to gain new knowledge and create strategic avenues for research and development collaboration,” he said while delivering his address to more than 400 academic staff, administrators, and students of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

Therefore, Dr. Zaini’s lifelong service demonstrates that leadership is not defined by position, but by purpose. His 100-Day World Tour represents more than a personal milestone, but also a national statement that Malaysia’s intellectual capital is ready to engage, exchange, and compete on the global stage.

About Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM):

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is a research-intensive public university specialising in engineering, science, and technology, with a growing international profile in sustainability, innovation, and the humanities. Established in 1904 and located in Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur, UTM is dedicated to producing global talents, impactful research, and meaningful partnerships that contribute to a more just and sustainable world.

UTM alumnus and global tech entrepreneur recognized for advancing Southeast Asia’s digital economy

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Dec. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Ganesh Kumar Bangah, a pioneering entrepreneur and visionary leader often hailed as “Malaysia’s Bill Gates,” continues to be one of the most influential figures in Southeast Asia’s digital economy.

His leadership and impact were recently recognized at the Festival of Ideas (FOI) Putrajaya 2025, where the Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Seri Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir, cited Ganesh as a “prime example of Malaysia’s innovation excellence” and a symbol of the nation’s evolving knowledge-driven economy. Dr. Zambry highlighted Ganesh’s remarkable milestone as the youngest Chief Executive Officer of a Malaysian public-listed company at age 23, noting that his entrepreneurial journey embodies the spirit of innovation and determination that Malaysia seeks to instill in its next generation of technopreneurs.

Championing Malaysian Digital Future and Driving Southeast Asia’s E-Commerce Revolution

In 2017, Ganesh founded Commerce.Asia, an integrated e-commerce ecosystem designed to empower small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across Southeast Asia. Today, the platform supports 8.4 million SMEs, 28,000 active sellers, and facilitates over RM7.6 billion in annual sales across seven countries. Under his leadership, Commerce.Asia has evolved into a one-stop enabler for digital entrepreneurship, encompassing omnichannel solutions, logistics, fulfillment, social commerce, and analytics.

Ganesh’s vision is simple yet transformative, which is to democratize digital opportunities so that every Malaysian entrepreneur can thrive in the online economy. He also serves as Executive Chairman of Xamble Group Limited (formerly Netccentric), an ASX-listed company that owns Nuffnang, Malaysia’s largest influencer platform with a community of over 20,000 creators, redefining the intersection between marketing, technology, and creative industries.

His expertise and influence extend far beyond his enterprises. He is currently a Board Member of the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet), where he helps shape national strategies for fintech infrastructure and digital transformation. He previously served as Chairman of the National Tech Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) and now advises its national think tank, Future Digital, dedicated to advancing Malaysia’s digital leadership and innovation agenda. His national roles reflect a deep commitment to ensuring that Malaysia remains a competitive hub for digital entrepreneurship, data-driven governance, and sustainable technological growth.

In 2023, Ganesh received the World Distinguished Digital Entrepreneur Lifetime Achievement Award from the KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific, honoring his lifelong contributions to technological innovation and leadership across Asia. He was also previously named the Ernst & Young Technology Entrepreneur of the Year (2002), listed among Southeast Asia’s Top 30 Tech Founders by Tech in Asia (2016), and recognized as one of Asia’s Most Influential People by Society Magazine (2015). These accolades highlight not only his entrepreneurial success but also his enduring influence on Malaysia’s digital transformation.

From University Dreamer to NASDAQ Pioneer and Continuing Legacy of Innovation

Ganesh’s early fascination with technology sparked a lifelong pursuit of innovation. As a proud alumnus of UTM, his story began as a Telecommunication Engineering student in UTM. He took a bold step, pausing his studies in his third year to build his first startup, MOL AccessPortal, in 2000. By 2014, his company, later known as MOL Global Inc., became the first Southeast Asian internet company to be listed on NASDAQ, cementing his position as one of the region’s foremost technology leaders. MOL’s success positioned Malaysia on the global tech map, pioneering online payment systems across Asia and connecting millions of users through digital commerce.

His journey from a student entrepreneur to a global tech leader demonstrates how UTM’s ecosystem continues to inspire problem-solvers and innovators capable of reshaping industries and uplifting societies. In his reflections, Ganesh often emphasizes that entrepreneurship should serve a higher purpose which is “to create impact beyond profit, to build opportunities that empower people and transform communities.”

Ganesh continues to inspire Malaysia’s youth to embrace creativity and technology as tools for nation-building. As he shared in his recent public address, “The future of Malaysia will not be built on resources, but on the resilience and ideas of our people.” His entrepreneurial odyssey, from a UTM dreamer to a global technology pioneer, stands as a testament to Malaysia’s growing stature as a digital innovation powerhouse.

About Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM):

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is a research-intensive public university specialising in engineering, science, and technology, with a growing international profile in sustainability, innovation, and the humanities. Established in 1904 and located in Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur, UTM is dedicated to producing global talents, impactful research, and meaningful partnerships that contribute to a more just and sustainable world.

VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Wondershare, a global leader in creative and productivity solutions, today announced a strategic collaboration with Topaz Labs, a pioneer in AI-powered video enhancement. As part of the initial rollout, Topaz’s diffusion-driven enhancement model, Starlight, has been integrated into Wondershare’s all-in-one AI Video Converter & Enhancer, UniConverter, with plans to expand the integration across additional products—including Wondershare Filmora, Wondershare SelfyzAI, Wondershare Repairit, and more—in future updates. This partnership marks a significant leap in video enhancement performance, giving users access to capabilities traditionally reserved for advanced production pipelines.

The global video production market was valued at $98.99 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $746.88 billion by 2030, reflecting a rapid 33.5% CAGR. As video creation continues to surge, creators increasingly require higher-fidelity visual outputs across a broader variety of source materials. Wondershare has long been committed to elevating the creative experience by partnering with leading technology innovators. The collaboration with Topaz Labs reflects this commitment and reinforces Wondershare’s long-term vision of building a robust, AI-driven creative ecosystem. By bringing advanced AI models into its product lineup, Wondershare aims to provide creators with more powerful and intuitive tools that enhance both the quality and versatility of their content.

Topaz Labs Starlight stands as the world’s first diffusion-based AI model for video enhancement and the only solution to deliver full temporal consistency across frames. Through its integration with UniConverter, the tool now offers exceptional detail reconstruction and unifies five key restoration tasks—upscaling, denoising, deblurring, de-aliasing, and sharpening—within a seamless, one-click workflow capable of elevating even sub-480p footage to HD or 4K quality. Powered by cloud-based compute, the process requires no high-end GPU, allowing everyday devices to achieve professional-grade results at speed. From restoring legacy footage and improving low-resolution online videos to clarifying animated linework and upgrading AI-generated materials, UniConverter substantially broadens the range of content creators can enhance, refine, and repurpose.

“Wondershare has always been committed to empowering creators by bringing advanced technologies into accessible, easy-to-use tools,” said Sam Zhang, Vice President of Wondershare. “We are delighted to collaborate with Topaz Labs, whose leadership in AI video enhancement aligns closely with our mission. This partnership marks an exciting step forward, and we will continue exploring new collaborations and innovations that help creators produce exceptional content with greater efficiency and confidence.”

“For years, Wondershare has been a leader in video editing and production technology,” says Dr. Suraj Raghuraman, Head of AI Engine at Topaz Labs. “Much like our team here at Topaz, Wondershare has built a reputation for innovation and quality in their tools, so we’re thrilled to partner with them to bring world-class video enhancement to UniConverter, and soon to other Wondershare products as well.”

About Wondershare:

Wondershare is a globally recognized software company founded in 2003, known for its innovative solutions in creativity and productivity. Driven by the mission “Creativity Simplified”, Wondershare offers a range of tools, including Filmora and SelfyzAI for video editing; PDFelement for document management; and EdrawMax, EdrawMind for diagramming. With over 2 billion cumulative active users across all products and a presence in over 200 countries and regions, Wondershare empowers the next generation of creators with intuitive software and trendy creative resources, continually expanding the possibilities of creativity worldwide.

ABU DHABI, UAE, Dec. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, participated in the HSC Asset Management high-level conference in Abu Dhabi, where Yoyee Wang, Head of Business-to-Business (BBU), highlighted the role of custody design, capital efficiency and regulatory clarity in institutional engagement with digital assets. The two-day event brought together policymakers, asset managers and technology leaders to discuss global investment trends, digital assets, artificial intelligence and the future architecture of financial markets.

Wang spoke as a panelist during the Grand Forum Day session titled “The Future Stack of Digital Finance: Investments, Transactions, Custody, and the New Market Architecture,” which examined how institutional-grade infrastructure is influencing the evolution of digital finance.

Moderated by David Gevorkian, managing director of TWO23 Group, the panel featured senior executives from major digital asset platforms, including Kevin Lee, chief business officer at Gate; Yana Minaylova, head of institutional sales and business development for MENA at Binance; and Jessica Wu, head of APAC at Bitpanda Technology Solutions.

Custody, Risk and Capital Efficiency

During the discussion, Wang emphasized that institutional conversations around custody are fundamentally driven by risk management and operational considerations.

“When institutions talk about custody, the discussion usually starts with security – transparency, control of assets and risk reduction,” Wang said.”But custody is not the objective in itself. The underlying question is how clients can trade more efficiently while managing risk.”

She noted that as custodian and off-exchange settlement models become more common, market participants are increasingly focused on capital usage.

“As custody structures are introduced, whether through multi-party arrangements or off-exchange solutions, the immediate challenge for the industry is capital efficiency,” Wang said. “The priority is to improve capital efficiency, on top of enhanced security and reduced counterparty risk to exchanges.”

Regulatory Clarity in the UAE

Wang also highlighted the role of regulatory clarity in enabling institutional participation, pointing to the United Arab Emirates as a key example.

“Bybit established its headquarters in the UAE some time ago, and we’ve seen regulations in the region become progressively clearer,” she said. “That clarity and certainty are critical for technology innovation and for building confidence among global institutions.”

She added that clearer frameworks have helped foster constructive dialogue between regulators, market participants and technology providers, supporting long-term market development.

Tokenized Real-World Assets

Addressing the growing interest in tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), Wang noted that Bybit has supported access to regulated RWA products through collaborations with established financial institutions.

“We’ve launched tokenized products in collaboration with Qatar National Bank and UBS that provide exposure to underlying money-market instruments,” Wang said. “These structures allow clients to access traditional returns within a digital asset framework, while benefiting from liquidity and trading functionality.”

She cautioned, however, that the broader RWA landscape remains uneven.

“The market today includes a wide range of structures and standards,” Wang said. “Our focus is on products that are well-structured, subject to appropriate oversight and designed to be tradable, so they can support liquidity in secondary markets.”

Institutional Engagement Beyond Asset Exposure

Wang concluded by encouraging institutions to take a broader view of how they engage with digital assets.

“We’d like institutions to look beyond digital assets solely as an asset class and consider them as part of a broader blockchain infrastructure,” she said. “Participation can take many forms — from liquidity provision to agency trading or technology collaboration — depending on an institution’s business model and risk framework.”

#Bybit / #TheCryptoArk / #IMakeIt

About Bybit

Bybit is the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, serving a global community of over 80 million users. Founded in 2018, Bybit is redefining openness in the decentralized world by creating a simpler, open and equal ecosystem for everyone. With a strong focus on Web3, Bybit partners strategically with leading blockchain protocols to provide robust infrastructure and drive on-chain innovation. Renowned for its secure custody, diverse marketplaces, intuitive user experience, and advanced blockchain tools, Bybit bridges the gap between TradFi and DeFi, empowering builders, creators, and enthusiasts to unlock the full potential of Web3. Discover the future of decentralized finance at Bybit.com.

For more details about Bybit, please visit Bybit Press
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For updates, please follow: Bybit’s Communities and Social Media

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BEIJING, Dec. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — China’s tea industry is shifting from a pillar industry for poverty alleviation to a key driver of rural revitalization, said Li Chunsheng, president of the China Association of Supply and Marketing Cooperative Economics, at the 2025 Global Green Tea Congress held in Wuyuan County, east China’s Jiangxi Province.

China’s tea output now exceeds 37 million tonnes, with the total value surpassing 330 billion yuan, supporting regional economic development and increasing farmers’ incomes.

Li pointed out that tea has become one of the world’s three major beverages, with over 2 billion people worldwide having the habit of drinking tea. China’s initiative to designate May 21 as the International Tea Day in 2019 highlights the global leadership of its tea industry. 

In analyzing the development of green tea in Wuyuan County, east China’s Jiangxi Province, Li elaborated on the transformation and upgrading of the tea industry in the county through integrated tourism, industrial development and cultural innovation.

Wuyuan now has nearly 210,000 mu (about 14,000 hectares) of tea plantations with the industry output value exceeding 6 billion yuan, making tea a key industry for increasing local incomes. Li believes the sector will be vital to boosting local prosperity and economic growth.

Jointly hosted by China Economic Information Service, China Tea Science Society, and the Ecological Civilization Research and Promotion Association of Jiangxi Province, the congress brought together tea experts and enterprises from around the world.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/348904.html