23 September 2026 News

Entertainment : iQIYI At the 2026 iJOY Annual Celebration, an all-AI ancient costume web series titled “I Envy Immortals, Not Lovebirds” was officially announced as the country’s first drama featuring actors’ formally licensed portraits, with Shen Yujie and Chen Heyi authorizing only their likenesses and voices to play characters Huang Doudou and Lu Yang respectively, featuring no live-action footage throughout, with both characters and scenes entirely AI-generated, and actors only providing voiceover work; director Wei Zheng subsequently clarified that the series was actually “live-action performance with AI technology assistance,” with the crew having filmed real performances using hundreds of camera arrays in Shanghai and Hengdian. Tencent Simultaneously launched was “Delivering Arrows,” combining live-action footage with AI-generated scenes and open-sourcing production assets for fan creation. National Radio and Television Administration Data shows that the micro-drama market scale surpassed 100 billion yuan in 2025, with 430,000 micro-dramas launched in the first eight months of this year, 13 times the full-year total of last year, of which AI dramas account for over 90 percent; the “Micro-Drama Development and Management Measures” officially take effect on September 1, requiring AI micro-dramas to add disclaimer labels in prominent positions in each episode and implement pre-publication review. National Radio and Television Administration A symposium on intellectual property and personality rights protection for AI micro-dramas on “image fusion” and “voice fusion” was previously held, iQIYI, Dianzhong (点众), Shanhai (山海), Hongguo (红果), Jiuzhou (九州), Kuaishou, Mangguo TV (芒果TV), Rongliang (容量), Tencent, Youku (优酷), COL Group Co., Ltd. and 17 platforms and institutions participated. On the industry chain, Wondershare provides AI short-drama production tools covering script generation, intelligent editing, and digital character completion, Beijing Jetsen Technology Co., Ltd. has established AI short-drama production capacity centers and relies on self-developed AI agents to streamline the entire process from script development to image generation, Mango Excellent Media expands premium micro-drama output by leveraging " Damang Jihua " (“大芒计划”), and Zhengzhou relies on Jiechuang Zhineng (杰创智能) Changqing Yunci Yuan ( Token ) Gongchang (常青云词元(Token)工厂)’s high-concurrency computing power to support batch script generation, real-time digital character rendering and effects production for short dramas; iQIYI has established an artist library “Nadou Pro (纳逗Pro)” with signing intentions from over a hundred artists, and actress Qi Wei launched her official digital avatar in August and will star in the post-apocalyptic AI animated series “Last Summer of Doomsday,” with the lead character as “Han Qingxia.”

Marketing : Shenzhen Liangsheng Shuzi Keji (良胜数字科技) leverages self-developed role-based large models and digital life technology to create digital human applications such as “super anchors,” “super customer service,” and “super legal representatives,” supporting thousands of concurrent personalized interactions, multi-modal real-time responses, and localized deployment. Targeting pain points faced by companies going global—including high costs, difficult implementation, and low credibility—co-founder Zhang Dasheng describes it as “AI overseas expansion infrastructure.” In rural revitalization scenarios, AI digital human anchors break through time and labor constraints in livestreams, providing round-the-clock promotion of rural specialty agricultural products, intangible cultural heritage handicrafts, and cultural tourism resources. Fujian Ningdeshi Qiaoshang Jicai Zhongxin (宁德市侨商集采中心) relies on self-developed artificial intelligence technology to launch multilingual AI digital human livestreams, achieving 24/7 uninterrupted cross-border livestream commerce, precisely connecting with procurement needs from Southeast Asian, European, and American overseas Chinese merchants. The Mid-Autumn special event of JD.com “Lunar Cyber Celebration” invited mythological digital humans including Chang’e, the Moon Goddess, the Weaver Girl, the Queen Mother of the West, and the Jade Rabbit to perform on the same stage, while enabling digital personas of brands such as a2 Naifen (a2奶粉) and Nubiya Shouji (努比亚手机) to participate in interactive segments. Huya disclosed in its earnings call that its digital human model VAM 1.0 has been used to enhance the scalability of livestream content production. At Ali Yunqi Conference, teams demonstrated the use of Qianwen Tuxiang Moxing (千问图像模型) for generating short drama storyboards and product images. The Xiaoxu Yinyue (小旭音乐) team operates over a dozen AI digital singers leveraging Happy Shrimp music generation models, currently exploring commercialization paths including advertising, MV customization, and digital human incubation.

Cultural : Chengdu Wuhouci (武侯祠) AI digital human “Xiao Zhuge” and Dufu Caotang (杜甫草堂) “AI Du Fu” have been selected as “2025 Metaverse Typical Cases,” becoming representative cases of Chengdu’s digital cultural and creative industries; Yangzhou’s Xia Yangzhou (下扬州) smart cultural tourism platform has innovatively introduced AI digital humans “Yang Xiaoyang” and “Yang Xiaoliu,” supporting voice interaction and text conversion to lower the threshold for elderly groups using smart tourism; the visitor center at Yandang Mountain scenic area in Lezhen, Zhejiang has introduced iFLYTEK AI multilingual transparent translation screens that support real-time translation in 38 languages and are equipped with digital human customer service to ensure unattended consultation during off-peak hours; China–ASEAN Expo the tourism exhibition area incorporates AI digital human hosting, real-time multilingual translation, and intelligent itinerary planning technologies; during the fifth Global Digital Trade Expo, a Zhejiang University-affiliated enterprise Xiangsu Yueqian (像素跃迁) launched the AI Wanzhuan Shumaohui (AI玩转数贸会) mini-program, which leverages BeiDou positioning and hierarchical venue maps, with AI digital human “Shu Xiaochao” providing booth voice explanations, Chinese-English bilingual interpretation, and check-in collection services; the company had previously launched the West Lake “Huguang Carp·A-Li” Song-rhyme AI tour companion and Qiushi AI Tansuo Guan (求是AI探索馆) immersive science education projects; in Beijing’s inbound tourism services, Guoshu Keji (国术科技) naked-eye 3D holographic digital humans and other cultural tourism technology applications have made their debut at 2026 Shijie Lvyou Hezuo Yu Fazhan Dahui (2026世界旅游合作与发展大会) the smart digital cultural tourism exhibition area, presenting alongside AR real-time translation glasses and AIGC immersive interactive installations.

Enterprise : Jinan Qilu Ruanjianyuan (齐鲁软件园) is implementing a digital government “intelligent second-level approval” initiative, with multimodal digital government service avatars now officially deployed to assist enterprises in efficiently handling matters; Shanghai Pudong’s “Smart Pudong·Digital Governance Without Boundaries” government intelligence cooperation themed activity exhibition area showcases AI-empowered urban governance outcomes through digital avatar services; Yancheng Yanfu Dazhongbao Baoye Jituan (盐阜大众报报业集团) displays a “digital avatar team” in its smart communication experience zone, with eight digital employees successively demonstrating functional applications and presenting capabilities extending from traditional content production to intelligent comprehensive services; Heilongjiang Jiamusishi Ren Sheju (黑龙江佳木斯市人社局) is comprehensively advancing “digital human resources society” construction, realizing high-frequency business operations on mobile platforms through online platforms; Guangfa Yinhang (广发银行) created a digital-smart consumer protection service point during the 2026 financial education promotion week, launching a financial education digital-smart interactive zone where touching the screen instantly activates a digital avatar consumer protection assistant for interactive Q&A, risk announcements, and video playback; Baidu Zhineng Yun (百度智能云) is constructing an industrial intelligent entity matrix, where the digital avatar intelligent entity Baidu Yijing (百度一镜) provides enterprises with one-click generation of digital avatar video podcasts and microexpression technology breakthroughs, and integrates digital avatars and multi-Agent collaborative services for elderly individuals in clothing, food, housing, healthcare, and entertainment companion scenarios through Fubao (福宝) intelligent terminals in comprehensive smart elderly care solutions; Huatai Zhengquan (华泰证券) chief executive officer Zhou Yi revealed the company plans to configure “digital doppelgangers” for all 16,000-plus employees within the year for daily work reporting, material retrieval, and cross-department collaboration; at the Shenzhen Longgang human-machine salon, Liangsheng Shuzi Keji (良胜数字科技) founding partner Zhang Dasheng introduced the company’s digital avatar overseas solutions built on character large models and digital life technology, establishing a dedicated overseas ecosystem zone at the Longgang International Enterprise Base.

Gaming : Shanghai’s Yangpu District has recently introduced leading internet enterprise Zaomengshi (造梦师) (Dream Maker), a company with long-term focus on virtual artists and online entertainment interaction. Through one-on-one real-person motion capture and real-time action capture technology, it brings virtual images to life in livestreams, music, and offline activities. The company has incubated over 3,000 virtual singers, with released songs accumulating over one billion listens across the internet and generating over ten billion topic exposures online. Its virtual artist “Kong” is a leading broadcaster in Douyin’s voice virtual track and president of Top Stream Club and New Voice Club, having held offline fan meetups in Shanghai for two consecutive years and coordinated with fans to donate supplies for the Guangxi flooding disaster. “Ji” serves as Beijing Zuanshi Yinyue Jianianhua (北京钻石音乐嘉年华) youth ambassador. Xy.Zeus has performed at the Vientiane Gift Blooming Oriental New Year’s Gala and served as 1218 Dimension Youth Ambassador. The company has established strategic cooperation with Huana Yinyue Zhongguo (华纳音乐中国) and launched collaborations with brands including Zhongguo Huangjin (中国黄金), AutoNavi, Xiecheng (携程), and Kendeji (肯德基), while launching the Weilai Ji (未来纪) boy group project to expand into the real-person idol sector. In the A-share market, Huanrui Century previously partnered with N Shijie (N世界) to create an interactive AI digital character for the drama series “Lotus Tower,” exploring new promotional forms combining IP with AI technology. Qinghai Tianyou Dejiu (天佑德酒) launched virtual brand character “Li Linger” as early as 2023, combining Qingke barley wine regional culture with digital character imagery for market marketing.

Ethical Contexts : Nan Dou (南都) An investigation by reporters found that explosive growth in the AI short-drama industry has spawned a business in “face-making,” with different short-drama projects urgently requiring expanded facial resources. Some short-drama actors revealed that AI portrait licensing fees range from 600 to 1,500 yuan per production, while certain MCN institutions offer “free licensing of affiliated influencers’ faces” in exchange for influencer participation in drama promotion and traffic sharing. More strikingly, some merchants are selling approximately 500 so-called “modern character assets” on second-hand trading platforms for 19.8 yuan each. Upon investigation, the “face-merging” materials were found to be entirely sourced from screenshots of real photos of ordinary netizens from overseas social media platforms, completely bypassing the portrait licensing process. Legal experts point out that such conduct of “face-merging” or “face-swapping” without authorization for use in short dramas or promotional materials typically carries a high likelihood of infringement determination, potentially violating provisions of the Civil Code concerning portrait rights, and in severe cases may implicate criminal statutes related to personal information of citizens. Beijing Hulianwang Fayuan (北京互联网法院) Previously, a case involving an AI face-swap short drama was reported in which infringement of portrait rights was determined due to the image’s striking similarity to a well-known actor. The short drama “Taohuan Zan” was also removed from the platform and its producer’s upload permissions suspended for 15 days after it was found to have misappropriated photos of ordinary individuals to defame characters. State Administration for Market Regulation Typical cases of false advertising enforcement released in September showed that Changping District in Beijing investigated and handled an AI virtual person live-streaming e-commerce case in which the company involved used AI virtual persons in its flagship store live-streaming room to promote ordinary food products as possessing health-enhancing effects such as “boosting immunity.” The company was ordered to cease the illegal conduct and subjected to fines. This case represents the first investigation by Beijing of false advertising involving AI virtual person live-streaming e-commerce promotion of ordinary food products since the implementation of the Live-streaming E-commerce Supervision and Management Measures. Experts recommend that based on the Provisions on the Management of Deep Synthesis of Internet Information Services and the Measures for Marking AI-Generated and Synthesized Content, quantitative standards be refined for “prominent labeling” of facial generation and AI digital persons, and that a full-chain front-end safeguard mechanism be improved encompassing interception at the generation end and marking at the dissemination end.

Consumer Tech : An AI smart mirror Wansheli Keji (万奢丽科技) developed in Hangzhou’s Shangcheng District allows consumers to take photos to generate digital avatars, enabling virtual try-ons and providing scenario-based styling recommendations by combining body dimension data across 33 measurements. It has moved from the laboratory into offline venues such as the Sijiqing apparel market and entered 21 overseas stores across the United Kingdom, France, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and other locations, with a complementary personal digital wardrobe mini-program developed to help users manage daily outfits for their “digital avatars.” A Beijing “Dialogue AI Hangzhou” media delegation visited the AI Hangzhou Chengshi Keting (AI Hangzhou城市客厅) exhibition hall, where a 3D figurine customization booth collects full-body user data through an array of 98 cameras, generating “digital avatars” with millimeter-level precision in real time that can be further produced as physical figurines. Rongweijia Yue 07 (荣威家越07) launches Doubao AI Zuocang Zhushou (豆包AI座舱助手) for the first time, presenting an anthropomorphic virtual image with expressions and head movement on the vehicle’s screen, supporting independent identification across four in-car audio zones and Face ID personalized memory, orchestrating hardware such as windows, air conditioning and seats through the whole-vehicle SOA service interface. The Xiaomi 18 Pro (小米18 Pro) series “AI Multi-Change Rear Screen” enables users to freely generate exclusive application cards and pet dynamic virtual avatars through AI, creating a personalized “pain phone” experience, while coordinating cartoon virtual images including IP characters and anime figures to appear on the rear screen.