17 October 2026 News

Healthcare : In the health management field, OMYQS Yuanqi Xunhuan (OMYQS元气循环) and Guangdongsheng Dier Renmin Yiyuan (广东省第二人民医院) jointly built a “three-element coupled precision longevity health management full-scenario application ecosystem,” with its Chief AI Scientist Wang Hao (王皓) and Professor Tian Junzhang (田军章)’s team co-creating Liushi AI Fenshen (六师AI分身)——encompassing top experts, nutritionists, fitness trainers, psychotherapists, rehabilitation specialists and health managers, which uses “chain-of-thought” technology to replicate expert health management experience and provides health assessment and planning recommendations to users through an “A2A model” referencing the multidisciplinary consultation approach of tier-one hospitals; meanwhile, the Fudandaxue Shanghaiyixueyuan (复旦大学上海医学院) Zhao Chao (赵超) team launched “Jiyu Duomo Ti Shuzi Luansheng De Jiankang Guanli Fuzhu Juece Xitong (基于多模体数字孪生的健康管理辅助决策系统),” establishing an updatable and predictive digital twin for each individual to assist physician decision-making; the “Psychology” intelligent book platform under Shandong Chuban Jituan (山东出版集团) provides normalized psychological health services for adolescents and parents leveraging AI digital humans.

Marketing : E-commerce and live-streaming sectors are densely introducing digital humans and AI avatars to undertake marketing and sales functions: at the Tmall Double 11 live-streaming opening ceremony, a real-life swimmer Ning Zetao (宁泽涛) interacted with their AI avatar on-screen, embraced across dimensions and competed in muscle display, hailed as the internet’s first AI person relay broadcast联播, while short-drama actor Liu Runming (刘润铭) completed authorization within two days of liaising with Tmall’s comment section, with their AI digital human debuting as a host in the same live stream; JD.com launched AI capabilities covering over 3,000 scenarios during Double 11, among which digital human JD.com JoyAvatar and live streams from more than 90,000 merchants’ digital humans became important levers; in the commercial AI landscape map released by Kuaishou, Nvwa Shuzi Ren (女娲数字人) enables round-the-clock live streaming to extend operating hours, while Xiaohui AI (小慧AI) assists hosts in preparing scripts and product explanations; AI content community Zaomengci Yuan (造梦次元) partnered with Shengshu Technology’s Vidu S2 model to create virtual IP “Purple Cherry,” completing a 48-hour unlimited restart autonomous live-streaming challenge that accumulated over 310,000 views and total revenue of 42,000 yuan, demonstrating the commercial potential of real-time generation technology in live-streaming scenarios; furthermore, Chuangxiang Shuwei, Shiyou Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Nanjing Silicon Intelligence Technology Group Co., Ltd., Shangtang Ruying (商汤如影), Baidu Xi Ling (百度曦灵) and other enterprises constitute the main contingent of domestic XR+AI virtual live-streaming solution service providers, entering the market respectively through paths including virtual shooting, virtual studios, localized deployment, visual rendering and large model-driven approaches; in automotive cabin scenarios, Biyadi (比亚迪)’s third-generation Yuan introduced an AI cute pet desktop virtual image named “Little Bread,” equipped with perception and observation, voice listening and host-guest interaction functions.

Entertainment : Virtual artists and digital avatars are accelerating their landing in the entertainment industry: Li Xiuman (李秀满) created aespa during SM Yule (SM娱乐) with “AI avatar worldview” as its core concept, and after leaving SM, A2O Yule (A2O娱乐) launched the boy group A2O SOUL and girl group A2O LITE sharing a linked worldview called Soulite, with all character designs, virtual images and comic MVs uniformly created by music producer Yu Yongzhen (俞永镇); Mangguo TV (芒果TV) officially announced the debut of five native AI artists—Chengdu, Fangyu, Lin Enna, Qi Xu, and Zhanyan—in one go, created jointly by platform AIGC Innovation Content Center and Lize Yingye (丽泽影业), with starring drama series launching on “Mango Spirit Creative Theater”; actress Qi Wei (戚薇) discussed her own AI digital avatar in an interview, candidly admitting that some of the scenes’ performances amazed her, believing AI will not eliminate actors but rather redefine the industry; virtual AI girl group BABYQUEEN member Mity sparked discussion with an announcement about “pregnancy” and withdrawal from the circle, with the creator later admitting the plot was fictional, intended to seek an exit for the AI character under excessive operational pressure; bilibili (Bilibili) processed a nationwide first “voice” ID for its well-known virtual person Luo Tianyi, realizing rights confirmation and landing for virtual person audio data products; on the content production side, Oriental Pearl launched the nation’s first open one-stop AI boutique micro-short drama pilot base in Shanghai Oriental Smart Media City, which includes low-cost production tools such as AI avatar dubbing packages for creators.

Enterprise : The supply landscape of the digital human industry is undergoing structural adjustment: Alibaba Cloud announced that the virtual digital human product developed by Tongyi Shiyanshi (通义实验室) under its banner is initiating delisting, with new purchases ceasing from November 30, 2026, and full service discontinuation and console offline from November 30, 2027, recommending customers migrate to alternative solutions such as Mayi Lingjing Shuzi Ren (蚂蚁灵境数字人), Xiangxin Shuzi Ren (相芯数字人) and Yizhi Zhineng AI Zhibo Shuzi Ren (一知智能AI直播数字人) in the cloud marketplace, with Alibaba Cloud responding that this move is a normal delisting due to strategic adjustment and product iteration; meanwhile, Shanghai Mayi Lingbo Keji (上海蚂蚁灵波科技有限公司)’s registered capital has increased from 120 million yuan to 200 million yuan, and Liangsheng Shuzi Rengongzhineng ( Hangzhou ) (良胜数字人工智能(杭州)有限公司) has obtained the patent for “digital twin knowledge base construction and training method supporting multi-format document parsing”; on the application front, Kaaosi Wulian Keji (卡奥斯物联科技股份有限公司)’s chairman Chen Lucheng (陈录诚) introduced that Jiaozhou Chuangzhi Gongchang (胶州创智工场), leveraging Tianzhida Moxing (天智大模型), has built an industrial brain, trained three major intelligent agent clusters and derived three virtual digital human roles, forming a factory “iron triangle” that has compressed the production planning cycle from 40 minutes to 10 minutes; Shiyou Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.’s Pota AI digital human intelligent agent employs a “one intelligent agent plus diversified terminals” strategy to serve Yunnan Communications Investment and Construction Group’s immersive smart exhibition hall, Hanma Guojiaji Ziranbaohuqu (汗马国家级自然保护区)’s moose docent, Beide Jituan (贝德集团)’s Jiangyin plant AI cockpit, Shunyiqu Jianchayuan (顺义区检察院)’s comprehensive service hall and Yili Jiangjun Fu (伊犁将军府)’s “digital general” across multiple scenarios.

Government : In government affairs and judicial service scenarios, Xiaolv Tongxue AI has launched the “Xiaolv Tongxue AI” legal government AI large model, which has covered over one million laws and regulations. Its AI digital humans have been deployed in Zhejiang Shewai Falv Fuwuzhongxin (浙江涉外法律服务中心), comprehensive governance centers in Guangzhou and other locations, petition departments, and Yuexiu District street government service centers, providing legal consultation services through touch-screen voice interaction. Longnan Shi (陇南市) human resources and social security departments have applied digital human green screen technology to routinely conduct live streaming for job placement and policy briefings, breaking through venue and time constraints. Shiyou Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. has also customized a 2D digital human called “Xiaoyi” for Shunyiqu Jianchayuan (顺义区检察院), which is deployed through an all-in-one machine in comprehensive business halls, enabling 7×24-hour policy consultation and business guidance services.

Cultural : Digital human applications continue to expand in cultural tourism and exhibition scenarios: the Yunfu International Stone Technology Exhibition will develop an AI digital human system to dynamically demonstrate the standardization level of stone processing technology; Xuanhan in Sichuan Bashan Daxiagu Jingqu (巴山大峡谷景区) through the “Zhiyou Bashan (智游巴山)” mini-program, enabling intelligent digital humans to provide personalized itinerary recommendations for tourists; at the Fujian Province Digital Cultural Tourism Project Achievement Exchange and Display Event, the historical figure “Zuo Zongtang” digital human can answer visitor questions at the microphone, Fujiansheng Ditu Chubanshe (福建省地图出版社) showcased the “digital doppelgänger” of cultural relics formed through high-precision 3D scanning; at the fourth “Creative Future” Metaverse Design and Creativity Competition Results Exhibition hosted by Shanghaishi Xuhuiqu Hongmei Jiedao (上海市徐汇区虹梅街道), the Digital Companion AI Companion track focused on the design of virtual image appearance and accompanying logic, allowing audiences to interact with AI virtual characters on-site.

Finance : At the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Industry Conference, Zhongyin Zhengquan (中银证券) chief economist Xu Gao (徐高) proposed that multiple segments of securities investment can leverage AI to enhance efficiency, such as constructing digital avatars of analysts and embedding human experience into institutions, but he simultaneously stressed that AI is a “lever,” and investors must always be the “hand” that operates the lever.

Ethical Contexts : Ethical and legal controversies surrounding AI virtual personas and digital avatars continue to intensify: batches of mass-produced AI virtual persona short videos disguised as warm companionship are precisely harvesting elderly audiences through pathetic-selling kinship tactics. Douyin (抖音) platforms have already disposed of large quantities of violating accounts, but Zhongguorenmindaxue (中国人民大学) Jin Yongai (靳永爱) professors point out that governance dilemmas persist such as accounts being shut down only to resurface and gray-market transactions being difficult to categorize. Henan Zejin Lvshi Shiwusuo (河南泽槿律师事务所) Fu Jian (付建) lawyers have indicated that regarding the “AI son” pathetic-selling livestream commerce case, the relevant conduct is suspected of consumer fraud. In terms of copyright and portrait rights, the AI short drama “Peach Blossom Hairpin,” which used the facial images of ordinary individuals Li Nvshi (李女士) (username Nanami) and Bai Xiansheng (白先生) (username Baicai) without authorization and portrayed them as antagonists, triggered a personality rights dispute case that went to trial at Hangzhoushi Xihuqu Renminfayuan (杭州市西湖区人民法院), with the producer Hangzhou Yingqu Shiguang Keji (杭州映趣拾光科技有限公司), distributor Chengdu Weima Weila Wenhua Chuanbo (成都微麻微辣文化传播有限公司), and platform Beijing Bimo Liuxiang Keji (北京笔墨留香科技有限公司) all listed as defendants. Related to this, the emergence of “sell your face” part-time facial authorization platforms has also raised risks of portrait rights infringement and personal information leakage, with Beijing Shuzi Jingji Yu Shuzi Zhili Fazhi Yanjiuhui (北京数字经济与数字治理法治研究会) deputy secretary-general Huang Yinxu (黄尹旭) issuing reminders. Regarding content authenticity, creator He Xiansheng (贺先生) from Douyin (抖音) released a clarification statement, emphasizing that the viral “panda” image in their account is an AI-generated virtual character rather than actual footage as previously misreported by multiple media outlets. On advertising compliance, after AI virtual persona “Fang Taozi” endorsed medical device contact lenses and sparked controversy, the advertisement was taken down, following which Chengdushi Shichang Jiandu Guanliju (成都市市场监督管理局) released an “AI-Generated Advertising Compliance Guide” for standardization. National Taiwan University chair professor Liu Shinan (刘世南) has cautioned from a psychological perspective that when large numbers of individuals rely on the same set of AI avatars for creative support, group diversity may actually decline. Actor Feng Yuanzheng (冯远征) also discussed in an interview that against the backdrop of AI short dramas’ rapidly rising proportion, while digital personas will not weaken the existence of human actors, “hollow” actors lacking cultural accumulation will be the first to be eliminated.