14 September 2026 News

Entertainment : Waitan Dahui (外滩大会) Inaugural AI Art Festival, Yuri, the first domestically recognized AI virtual idol with official digital identity certification Hanqing Studio, completed its global offline debut. Constructed by AI TALK founder Zhao Hanqing, the performance utilized a 101-meter-wide and 22-meter-high giant screen combined with 10K AI imagery, showcasing cross-dimensional collaboration with folk duo “Fangdong De Mao (房东的猫)”, Shanghai Huili Youeryuan (上海惠立幼儿园) choir, and traditional music performers, performing original tracks including “I Am Not Human NOT HUMAN”, with the show supported by Mayi Jituan (蚂蚁集团). The festival’s executive producer Zhang Youhong and chief director Zhang Jia co-created the event, which also featured embodied robot backup dancers and bionic humanoid simulating Yuri’s singing. Concurrent with the festival, the AI conceptual art exhibition “Entangled, Then Day Becomes Night” showcased original works created in 1985 by AI art pioneer Harold Cohen and his system AARON, along with works by over twenty domestic and international artists, and featured an AI video screening section aggregating over one hundred video works including award-winning pieces from Jiana Shijie Rengongzhineng Dianyingjie (戛纳世界人工智能电影节). Additionally, Hunanweishi (湖南卫视) and Mangguo TV (芒果TV) jointly produced “Post-Journey to the West,” China’s first AI long-form drama directed by Li Dongxuan, generating all characters and scenes through Mangguo Lingchuang Yunduan Chuangzuo Pingtai (芒果灵创云端创作平台) and Seedance2.0, Seedance2.5 technology. The series achieved top viewership in its provincial satellite TV time slot on its premiere, with a per-episode production cost of approximately 900,000 yuan, advancing AI television from short dramas to long-form content and from online platforms to mainstream screens.

Cultural Heritage : In the cultural heritage and tourism sectors, virtual digital humans are accelerating their integration into historical scene presentations. Wuhan Shuming Technology launched “Mark Yin (Mark印)” artifact cards, where scanning the QR code on the back of the card can summon a dedicated AI digital human to narrate stories about the artifacts, supporting real-time commentary in 143 languages. The product sold 830,000 units overseas within three months. Founder Luo Biwen revealed that the team is collaborating with Wuhandaxue (武汉大学) and Lianheguojiaokewenzuzhi (联合国教科文组织) to build a “Human Civilization Archive.” Fengniao Yuntu ( Qingyang ) Zhineng Keji (蜂鸟云图(庆阳)智能科技) partnered with Nanliang Geming Jinianguan (南梁革命纪念馆) to advance the “Digital-Analog Resonance” initiative, constructing a South Liang Red Culture dataset and deploying digital human narration and navigation agents that convert reviewed scripts into synchronized audio-visual explanation videos for application on exhibition hall screens and online distribution. iFLYTEK introduced the “AI Companion Explanation System” at a Guangdong cultural tourism investment promotion conference, supporting digital human IP interaction and location-based proactive narration, providing cultural heritage venues with continuously updated “star guide” services through collaboration with iFLYTEK AI navigation machines, while promoting multilingual AI glasses and high-quality cultural dataset construction. Changzhou, Jiangsu transformed the internet meme “Changbao” into a city IP, releasing the “Changbao Brand Visual Identification System,” launching the province’s first cultural tourism intelligent terminal “Changbao” AI doll featuring interactive experiences with historical figures including Jizi, Su Dongpo, and Hua Luogeng, and bringing online the “Changbao Intelligent Agent” integrating full-domain cultural tourism resources. Konglong Yuan Wenhua Lvyou Jituan (恐龙园文化旅游集团股份有限公司) developed virtual digital humans and an immersive “Dinosaur Metaverse” space, advancing the integration of “culture and technology.”

Enterprise : In enterprise service scenarios, digital human customer service is becoming an important tool for banks and telecommunications operators to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Zhongguoliantong Zhejiang Fengongsi (中国联通浙江分公司) independently developed customer service digital human “Mengxiao AI (萌小AI)”, using localized Qwen 3.8 large model as the foundation, integrating over fifty skills, reducing customer issue resolution time by 38% and improving staff efficiency by over 25%. At the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) financial special exhibition area, Zhongguojiansheyinhang (中国建设银行) digital human customer service “Longzhi Wei (龙知微)” and “Longzhi Yuan (龙知远)” have been deployed on intelligent teller machines at certain branches, achieving a 98% customer issue resolution rate; Zhongguo Nongyefazhanyinhang (中国农业发展银行) applied digital human interaction and satellite remote sensing applications to demonstrate practices serving rural revitalization; Baidu “Yijing Quan Changjing Shuzi Ren Pingtai (一镜全场景数字人平台)” has helped over 80 enterprises establish overseas live streaming systems, supporting multi-language and multi-site one-click broadcasting. Aidu Keji (艾度科技) in Wuxi developed AIOS Guanli Pingtai (AIOS管理平台), which enterprises call a “digital human management platform”, integrating intelligent agents in positions such as mold design and invoice reconciliation under unified management, bringing “digital employees” into specific manufacturing business scenarios. NetDragon Websoft Holdings Ltd.’s virtual digital human achieves daily content updates for self-media at one-fifth the cost, with scripts, visuals and voice-overs independently completed by AI, becoming a benchmark case for knowledge-based self-media.

Government/Public Sector : Digital human images are also being introduced in the government affairs and public services sector. Shanghai Jing’an District Baoshanlu Jiedao (宝山路街道) launched a smart digital government services platform, with the digital human “Xiaobao” serving as the image ambassador, complemented by “millisecond-level” intelligent policy matching and multimodal intelligent form-filling functions to help residents and window staff improve service efficiency. Shanxi Jinrong Jianguanju (陕西金融监管局) unveiled a “Shaanxi Financial Consumer Protection Traditional Culture Digital Human IP Matrix,” creating six digital human characters—Qin Xiaojiang, Tang Xiaomei, Qin Xiaoboa, Tang Xiaoman, Qin Xiaoan, and Tang Xiaoning—by leveraging cultural symbols such as the Terracotta Army, Tang Dynasty court ladies, and Qinqiang martial arts performers. These will be deployed on the Shaanxi Financial Consumer Rights Protection Education and Publicity Cloud Platform to continuously produce financial risk warning content. Jiusanxueshe Hangzhoushiwei Hui (九三学社杭州市委会) innovatively launched the digital human “Hang Jiuer” in ideological propaganda work, helping the WeChat official account’s reading volume break through 1.11 million. Heilongjiangsheng Kejiguan (黑龙江省科技馆) set up the digital human “Xue Xiaoke” at the “Science Night” carnival event to answer public questions anytime in the artificial intelligence themed exhibition area. Ningboshi Dishiliujie Zhi Bohui (宁波市第十六届智博会) had the virtual digital human image “Xiaozhi” participate throughout the expo publicity, making appearances in countdown and live broadcast segments.

Marketing : AI digital humans and virtual images are deeply penetrating the marketing and short-drama industries. Jinli Zhineng (今立智能) has accelerated its deployment of AI marketing business following the completion of a 20 million yuan financing round, with the digital human system in its product portfolio being used to lower the content expression threshold for enterprises, and together with short-video matrix tools Chaoji Zhijian (超级智剪) and AI search brand optimization Soujian Da GEO Youhua (搜荐达GEO优化) forming an enterprise AI marketing delivery system. The explosive growth of the AI short-drama industry has spawned a new “facial authorization” business model, where ordinary people need only provide photos and sign authorization agreements to transfer portrait usage rights to AI short-drama producers for use, with single authorizations priced at approximately 100 yuan, while professional actors’ quotes can reach thousands of yuan; some platforms completed over a hundred transactions totaling nearly 70,000 yuan within two months of launch, prompting lawyers to warn that this business model carries multiple legal risks including authorization loss of control, data breaches, and facial material flowing into black-market channels. On China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in 2026, reporters observed that AI digital humans already support on-screen video generation in 75 languages, with localized image libraries compatible with mainstream overseas e-commerce platforms, providing brands with new pathways for going global.

Ethical Contexts : The impact of AI digital humans on the acting industry has sparked heated debate in public discourse: commentators have pointed out that AI short dramas, digital avatars, and AI talent databases have begun affecting supporting roles, extras, and portrait rights fundamentals. Qu Wei’s studio has released her digital avatar “Han Qingxia,” while Wang Zuxian and You Benzhang have emphasized single IP, content review, and revocable clauses in their authorizations. Actors such as Yu Hewei have previously denied rumors of so-called “AI talent databases.” Public opinion is calling for actors to include portraiture rights, voice rights, training rights, and secondary adaptation rights in their contracts.

Sports : On Hangzhou Di 19 Jie Yayunhui (杭州第19届亚运会), the digital human torch bearer jointly lit the Asian Games main torch with swimmer Wang Shun, becoming one of the representative cases of virtual human applications in large-scale sporting events.