13 October 2026 News

Entertainment & Virtual Idols : iQIYI launched an AI artist platform “Nadou Pro (纳逗Pro)”, with CEO Gong Yu (龚宇) asserting that “live-action filming may become intangible cultural heritage in the future” and repeatedly responding to controversies surrounding artist residence and authorization; in nearly the same period, Mangguo TV (芒果TV) partnered with “Mangguo Lingchuang Juchang (芒果灵创剧场)” and AIGC Chuangxin Neirong Zhongxin (AIGC创新内容中心) to create “Spirit Creation Theater”, unveiling five named AI artists at once as leads in the variety show “Incredible Friends”, which netizens praised as having “natural expressions and exceeded expectations for human-like presence”. Former miHoYo reverse entropy AI research director Xing Jun (邢骏) founded Bantu Keji (半图科技), with co-founder Duan Jinjiu (段金玖) (formerly at ByteDance) developing the AI virtual idol product “Code Live” and character Ria, where AI drives the character’s chat, performance and growth, with the company completing a single-round financing exceeding tens of millions of dollars, led by Lianxiang Chuangtou (联想创投) with follow-on investment from IDG Ziben (IDG资本), with funds to be used for research in human behavioral models and 3D interactive scene productization. Shanghai Yuyuan’s “Haishang Liyuan (海上梨园)” historic stage hosted its first virtual singer performance, with Peking opera performer Hou Yu (侯宇) and virtual singers T. Shaman, T. He-He Wang, and T. Siming under Tingchaoge (听潮阁) performing together on the original track “Half Moon”, with Peking opera vocals and virtual imagery in trendy rap fusion completing a cross-border collaboration on the century-old stage. Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone issued a “virtual identity authentication pilot project” certificate and “digital artist card” to virtual idol “Yuri” under AI content company AI . TALK (AI.TALK), recording its name, birthday, address and facial features, and obtaining a business performance license specifically for commercial digital performances, with the related operating company having opened digital RMB payment channels.

Short Drama AI Faces & Digital Doubles : AI short dramas’ “high-frequency AI faces” trigger audiences’ “physiological rejection,” Hongguo Duanju (红果短剧) releases “Announcement on Regulating AI Drama Character Creation” to rectify the issue; Hunan Qianzhen Huanjie (湖南千帧幻界)’s AI horizontal-screen drama “Baoqing Wharf” invites 37 people from Shaoyang (including lyricist, composer and vocalist Yuan Shuxiong (袁树雄) of “Good Morning Longhui”) to authorize their likenesses, building a “digital avatar” model library with total investment exceeding 2 million yuan; Qi Wei (戚薇) launches personal digital avatar “Han Qingxia,” personally provides voice-over and serves as producer, starring in AI animated drama “End of Days Summer,” but the promotional video’s upskirt camera angle triggers public criticism from Youku President Wu Qian (吴倩) about AI’s “lack of aesthetic sensibility and control over propriety”; late actor You Benchang (游本昌)’s authorized image and voice appear in “Ji Gong: The Fake Dragon Tamer,” reaching over 28 million heat on Honguo; Wang Zuxian (王祖贤)’s youthful likeness and Wu Qihua (吴启华)’s golden-age image are also authorized for use in AI films; AI drama “The Girl Who Got Laid Off” gains audience recognition as its female lead Fang Taozi retains “imperfect” details like freckles and moles, with the team opening social media accounts to operate her daily updates. Medium to long dramas combining live-action and AI are also emerging: Tengxun Shipin (腾讯视频)’s “The Dart Escort,” Aiqi Yiyue Xianghui (爱奇艺悦享会)’s “Only Envy Immortals Not Lovebirds,” Huanyu Yingshi (欢娱影视) and Xiao Yunque AI (小云雀AI) collaboration “Beauty’s Stratagems: Xi Shi,” “Forbidden Palace Intrigues: Topsy-Turvy Dreams,” “Bad Blood,” Guo Jingyu (郭靖宇)’s “Misty Rain Divine Journey” all adopt hybrid production methods combining live-action filming with AI visual effects or live-action authorized image modeling; non-professional likeness authorization platforms “Xinzhao AIGC (新爪AIGC),” “Mirafans Jingjie (Mirafans镜界),” “Yuanxiang Xinsheng (元相新生)” emerge, with tiered pricing by subject matter including villains, death scenes, and intimate scenes; Yuanxiang Xinsheng (元相新生) founder Liu Xiao (刘啸) emphasizes the platform can only provide exposure channels rather than monetization guarantees.

Cultural Heritage & Tourism : Shanxi Chuban Chuanmei Jituan (山西出版传媒集团)’s Shanxi Chunqiu Dianzi Yinxiang Chubanshe (山西春秋电子音像出版社) has developed “Jinwen AI (晋问AI)” as Shanxi’s first provincial vertical-category cultural intelligence hub, leveraging Tencent computing power to build seven major AI agents and launching a digital human IP image called “Jindou,” enabling users to interact with the digital human through Q&A on Shanxi ancient architecture, Shanxi merchants, and red culture. Guochen Shuke (国宸数科) Group has proposed a cultural tourism AI agent solution covering “pre-tour—during-tour—post-tour” stages, using AIGC and digital human technology to create immersive performances and digital exhibitions, while establishing an “AI image traceability and copyright confirmation system” to register and chain-verify digital human image ownership. Jiangsu Gongcheng Zhiye Jishu Xueyuan (江苏工程职业技术学院) School of Economics and Management faculty and student team created a red panoramic VR work titled “Zhang Jian’s Industrial Spirit, Intelligent New Desheng,” with AI-assisted generation of a young university student digital presenter to showcase the centennial industrial history of Desheng Cotton Mill. Huaibei Zhiye Jishu Xueyuan (淮北职业技术学院) Department of Computer Science and Technology at Anhui Xu Hui (徐辉) under the guidance of Wu Kunyu (吴坤宇), jointly with Huaibeishi Tuiyijunren Shiwuju (淮北市退役军人事务局) launched a “university-local cooperation” project that uses deep learning facial animation generation technology to bring static martyr photographs to “life,” and combined with large language models and voice synthesis to build a digital human intelligent dialogue system for martyrs, achieving cross-temporal “conversation” between martyrs and families. At the Chengdu “Second 1010 AI Agent Digital Human Festival and 2026 Global AI Agent Competition,” interactive experiences featuring digital human tour guides and non-heritage Shu embroidery pattern generation were set up, with Mingtu Technology CEO Xiao Xuesong (肖雪松) noting that student teams have completed application prototypes around Su Dongpo culture of Meishan using digital human and metaverse technology. Guizhou Province proposed building a provincial digital human IP called “Qian Xiaoke” in its science popularization capacity development, with Guizhousheng Renmin Yiyuan (贵州省人民医院) launching the province’s first AI science popularization IP new media matrix, customizing exclusive AI digital human images for eight maternal and child health experts, following the experience pathway of Shanxisheng Kexie (陕西省科协)’s AI science popularization official digital human “Qin Xiaopu.” Baojishi Wenhua He Lvyouju (宝鸡市文化和旅游局) proposed exploring cultural tourism digital humans and AI micro-dramas as communication methods in its “15th Five-Year Plan,” strengthening the “See China·Come to Baoji” city cultural tourism brand.

Marketing & Advertising Compliance : A Workers’ Daily investigation found that AI virtual personas conducting mukbang and product review accounts have appeared on social platforms, claiming in the first person “I tested it and it tastes good” and “I tested it and it works” without actual human testing, with endorsed products spanning medical devices, health supplements, clothing, and food. Zhu Wei (朱巍), associate professor at China University of Political Science and Law, pointed out that according to advertising law, endorsers must “fully use” the product or service, which AI virtual personas cannot accomplish, and using AI virtual personas for endorsement cannot circumvent审核 and regulatory oversight of special advertising such as medical devices. In September this year, State Administration for Market Regulation released typical cases of false online food sales promotion, in which Beijing investigated the first case of false promotion by an AI virtual persona in livestream sales, claiming that ordinary food has health-care functions, clarifying that AI virtual personas are not a “shield” against false promotion. At the same time, “selling faces to AI platforms” has emerged, with facial authorization platforms such as “Xinzhao AIGC (新爪AIGC),” “Mirafans Jingjie (Mirafans镜界),” and “Yuanxiang Xinsheng (元相新生)” allowing ordinary people to submit facial photos to receive compensation, but controversies have been raised over platform usage scope, authorization duration, and whether authorization can be revoked; “Xinzhao AIGC (新爪AIGC)” responded that single-project authorization does not automatically extend to sequels and does not include model training. Multiple content platforms have also strengthened regulation of digital person livestreaming, drawing account-closure red lines against behaviors such as false unmanned livestreaming, AI imitation of others’ images, and failure to label AI identity, requiring livestream rooms to display AI reminder labels, arrange manual on-duty interaction, and eliminate false promotion scripts.

Enterprise & Industrial Digital Humans : Qingdao Jiaozhou Kaaosi (卡奥斯) has deployed an industrial AI agent cluster at its smart manufacturing factory, with a Tianzhixue industrial large model serving as the “brain,” and has established a CEO digital human, factory director digital human, and energy station director digital human respectively responsible for business decision-making, production management, and energy and carbon management. The enterprise’s anomaly root cause localization speed has improved by 65%, and decision-making efficiency has increased by 70%. The platform has served 160,000 enterprises and participated in the construction of 20 global lighthouse factories. The 2026 China Open Tennis Championship has deployed four Lenovo digital human intelligent customer service terminals for the first time in the diamond court corridor, adopting a cloud-edge hybrid architecture supporting voice and touch multimodal interaction, covering consultation scenarios including match schedules, player introductions, and campus dining guidance. This marks the first domestic tennis tournament deployment of the digital human solution. Huya is transitioning toward a comprehensive game ecosystem service provider, continuously expanding AI technology applications in game tools, IP companionship, and AI live streaming scenarios, with self-developed real-time multimodal digital humans VAM 1.0 used to optimize content production cost structures. Xinhuashe (新华社) has long explored virtual digital human applications, releasing the world’s first synthetic news anchor as early as 2018. The Baidu World 2026 conference will be held in Beijing on November 12, with official information indicating that 12 sub-forums will cover digital human cross-scenario applications and other directions. Some video news content, such as the Lynk & Co car accident report and Cook’s visit to Guangzhou report, are labeled “this video uses Huiboxing (慧播星) digital humans” in production. Xian Sheng Mutong Wangluokeji (西安圣木通网络科技有限公司) offers a digital human platform in its enterprise-grade intelligent agent product matrix, supporting image and voice management, text-driven oral presentation, and batch video generation for government-related public services publicity and enterprise brand explanation scenarios.

Government & Public Services : Heilongjiangsheng Yichunshi Zhishichanquanju (黑龙江省伊春市知识产权局) Leveraging large language model technology, intellectual property business guidance on trademarks, patents and other matters has been embedded in the “Lin Dou Shichangjianguan (林都市场监管)” official account’s smart navigation module, and data has been synchronized to the “smart navigation AI digital human” deployed at offline service windows, enabling intelligent Q&A interactions and precise legal awareness campaigns. Beijingligongdaxue (北京理工大学) The School of Marxism has built teaching resources including a “Chinese-style modernization proprietary large model” and ilab virtual simulation experiments under the “artificial intelligence plus education” action framework of five departments including the Ministry of Education, with related achievements incorporated into Haidian District’s “higher education support package for middle and primary school ideological and political teachers”; Beijingshi Haidianqu Jiaoshi Jinxiuxuexiao (北京市海淀区教师进修学校) the Haidian education AI digital human “Shengshen” on display made an appearance at the 2026 Beijing municipality integrated practice research achievements display and exchange activity for ideological and political education across primary, secondary and higher education, with Dean Liu Xingang (刘新刚) emphasizing the need to “build intelligent agents with correct values”.

Capital Markets & Industry Data : Catalyzed by AI film and television themes and the scheduled October 23 theatrical release of China’s first AI photorealistic feature film “Sanxingdui: Tales of the Future,” COL Group Co., Ltd., the “digital publishing leader stock” in the A-share market, surged by 20% limit-up the day after terminating its 2.83 billion yuan private placement plan and Hong Kong listing plans. Its semi-annual report shows short-form drama and IP derivative revenues grew 108.72% year-over-year, with the overseas platform FlareFlow achieving breakeven ahead of schedule. Hong Kong-listed Dui Ba (兑吧) (01753.HK) saw stock prices surge nearly 19% in a single day, with the company betting on the AI short-drama track through its self-developed “drama chip” generation engine and “satisfaction prediction model,” achieving leading month-over-month growth in native playback volume on Douyin for three consecutive months. Individual stocks including Huace Yingshi (华策影视) and Mango Excellent Media also rallied continuously on AI video and virtual digital human concepts. iiMedia Research data shows that among Chinese AI digital human application enterprises in 2026, e-commerce accounts for 19.71% leading all sectors, followed by health, social security and social welfare at 13.44%, finance at 11.78%, and education at 10.24%, with subsegments including gaming, film and television, cultural tourism, and real estate services accelerating deployment. The industry broadly faces challenges including insufficient interaction naturalness and elevated customization costs.