20 October 2026 News

Cultural Heritage And Education : The 2026 International Wudang Tai Chi Culture Festival opened in Shiyan, Hubei Province. During the opening ceremony’s cultural performance, AI digital human “Tai Chi Baby” traversed through the clouds above Wudang Mountain’s Golden Summit and soared over the Han River, with screens simultaneously displaying scenes of tai chi practice from around the world, creating an innovative presentation connecting traditional martial arts culture with digital technology. In Fujian, NetDragon Websoft Holdings Ltd.’s Muyu AI (目鱼AI)’s Story platform participated in Fujiansheng Shuzhiwen Lv OPC Lianheti (福建省数智文旅OPC联合体) construction, providing digital human business resources for Fujian’s cultural tourism scenarios; the Fuzhoudaxue (福州大学) Xiamen Arts and Crafts Academy team customized AI digital humans for Pucheng Meishuguan (浦城美术馆) (Fandian Meishuguan (范迪安美术馆)), which will serve as an “AI curator” representing the art museum’s digital image and facilitating interactive experiences within the venue in the future. In the red education sector, Xinpu New District, Zunyi, Guizhou Province Bailu Hu Xiaoxue (白鹭湖小学) launched “Zunyi Red·Digital Journey” curriculum practice, utilizing a domestic AI digital human creation platform to train and generate the “Small Building Lecturer” digital human using footage of lecturers from the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall, deployed in maker classrooms for students’ voice-interactive questions, and extended to create a matrix of red army character digital humans including “Zhong Chibing Digital Human” and “Geng Chu Digital Human”; Liaoning Province introduced AI digital humans “Teacher Xiaoma” and “Teacher Xiaodong” in Dongbeicaijingdaxue (东北财经大学) ideological and political courses, allowing historical figures such as Yang Jingyu and Lei Feng to “speak and narrate,” and was selected into the Ministry of Education’s “University Virtual Simulation Experimental Teaching Cases.” Additionally, Guangdongsheng Li Zhongshan Tushuguan (广东省立中山图书馆) on the foundation of “Editorial Turing” intelligent transformation, collaborated with Chaoxing (超星) to launch an AI librarian intelligent agent, and Zhongguo Guojiatushuguan (中国国家图书馆) also developed smart service scenarios including the “Gu Chaoxi” digital human, demonstrating the extended applications of digital humans in public cultural services.

Enterprise And Industry Applications : Digital human technology is accelerating its penetration into substantial industries such as energy, home appliances, and cultural tourism. Shiyou Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.’s Bota (波塔) AI digital human intelligent agent has built a privatized digital human explanation and business guidance system for Guojiadianwang (国家电网) and Guowang Dianli (国网电力) business halls, enabling digital humans to retrieve power grid operation data and track business processing progress through voice commands; Xinao Jituan (新奥集团) has upgraded its exclusive IP “Enniu Smart Companion” to “Chief Digital Explainer,” integrating natural language processing and multi-turn dialogue capabilities to serve brand communication for the “Enniuwang (恩牛网)” industrial intelligent ecosystem platform. In the home appliance sector, Kangjia (康佳) unveiled a television-based digital human named Nora at the 140th Canton Fair, providing explanations of smart home appliances across all categories in Chinese, English, and Spanish for merchants online. Tengxun Youxi Rensheng (腾讯游戏人生) applied AI digital humans and AI 3D generation technology to visualize the heritage application value of Jingdezhen’s manual porcelain industry, and coordinated the launch of themed activities across multiple games. At the Yuegangao Shuzi Shangye Chanjiao Ronghe Gongtongti (粤港澳数字商业产教融合共同体) conference, a “Beidou + AI” applied digital human teaching resource package was released, promoting the integration of vocational education going global with industrial services. The Qi Jie · Huandong Leyuan (炁界·幻动乐园) located in Jinan Jingsi Road Wanda Plaza, created by Shandong Tianjing Dianzikeji (山东天竞电子科技有限公司), allows visitors to generate exclusive “digital avatars” through AI synthesis technology to participate in immersive experience projects such as Mars base scenarios.

Entertainment and Games : Digital humans are becoming an increasingly important medium in live streaming, film and television, and virtual worlds. Liujianfang (六间房) The 2026 Chase the Light Competition has introduced AI talent scoring and AI digital-human judges; digital humans are permanently stationed in rooms to explain competition rules and participate alongside real human mentors in scoring during the initial “light-up” stage and the finals. The 2026 Yangtze River Delta International Youth Film Week’s “Film + Technology” segment has set up a virtual production booth where audiences can watch motion-capture actors drive digital human performances on site, experiencing optical motion capture and real-time rendering and compositing technology. SenseTime is exploring the construction of an AI-native virtual world platform, leveraging NeoBot digital humans, the SenseMARS metaverse platform, and a simulated-world model technology foundation to design a virtual space that combines zero-barrier user creation with advanced permissions for professional creators. Huya, in the course of its transformation into a “gaming industry ecosystem service provider,” released the real-time digital human model VAM 1.0 in July 2026, which was recognized as a national-level frontier innovation award-winning project by Fubusi Zhongguo (福布斯中国). In the domestic film and television sector, Mangguo TV (芒果TV) announced five AI artists at once, with their starring drama series Amazing Friends subsequently going online; the AI actress Fang Taozi from the AI short drama The Girl Who Got Laid Off opened an independent account as a virtual persona, gaining over 500,000 followers in a single month and appearing on the electronic edition cover of Shishang COSMO (时尚COSMO). Taiwan’s Jiashang Keji (甲尚科技), leveraging the NVIDIA Omniverse ecosystem, is building out capabilities in 3D content, virtual humans, and AI animation, with the related technology collaboration viewed as an external lever for growth in its subscription and licensing revenues.

Policy and Regulation : China’s Ministry of Commerce, Cyberspace Administration of China, National Development and Reform Commission and eight other departments jointly issued the “Opinion on Accelerating Scientific and Technological Development for Commercial Purposes,” explicitly proposing to “uphold technology for good and foster new intelligent service sectors such as robots and virtual digital human companions that are healthy and well-regulated,” and support cross-sector fusion applications of ultra-high-definition audiovisual technology R&D, immersive audiovisual and digital twin technologies in IP research and design across culture, tourism, sports, and national trendy sectors. China’s Ministry of Commerce Director of the Market System Construction Division Meng Yue (孟岳) introduced at the China State Council Information Office press conference that among the first batch of nine commercial technology application innovation centers, the digital human innovation center has achieved high-fidelity restoration of digital humans in facial features, expressions, and movements, serving more than ten thousand enterprises with widespread applications in live-streaming e-commerce and intelligent shopping guide scenarios. At the metaverse innovation and development sub-forum of the 2026 New Industry Standardization Leadership Forum, China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Division Gan Xiaobin (甘小斌) emphasized the need to strengthen AI empowerment and promote the development of new quality productive forces represented by the metaverse, with the forum launching seven industry standards including digital human intelligent agents. Tsinghua University, JD Technology, SenseTime, Guangzhou Quwan (广州趣丸) and other institutions’ experts shared industrial development progress around digital human identity and AI digital human directions.

Ethics And Risk : A batch of AI digital humans named “Xiaohair” have flooded short-video platforms, exploiting middle-aged and elderly users’ sympathy through fabricated backstories of “single parenthood and financial hardship” to induce purchases of products such as donkey-hide gelatin cakes. In May this year, a 79-year-old man even traveled alone by train to Shanxi to find “Xiaohair,” only to be stopped in time by railway police in Urumqi. A vice professor at Zhao Jingwu (赵精武) Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics School of Law pointed out that this type of digital human pitying-to-sell livestreaming already constitutes suspected fraud, while a professor at Peking University School of Government Management Ma Liang (马亮) argues that it reflects the underlying social problem of elderly people’s “emotional empty nest.” Meanwhile, actor Wu Yue (吴越) posted angrily early morning, condemning the account “Huajie Meifu Riji (花姐美肤日记)” for using AI to forge his image and voice to promote skincare products, with videos also featuring “Deng Yaping (邓亚萍)” promoting merchandise, after which Deng Yaping’s team issued a statement saying they never authorized any AI commercial cooperation. Previously, actor Wen Zhengrong (温峥嵘) also discovered multiple livestream rooms simultaneously stealing his AI-synthesized image, and was blocked when questioning the practice. Veteran actor Wang Liyun (王丽云) similarly publicly refuted rumors of AI face-swapped birthday greetings and merchandise-promotion videos. Earlier still, Beijingshi Haidianqu Shichang Jianguanju (北京市海淀区市场监管局) prosecuted a case of impersonating CCTV host Li Zimeng (李梓萌)’s AI image to promote “deep-sea polyene fish oil,” ruling it to constitute false advertising. Multiple media outlets including China Business Journal, Sina, and Guangming Daily commented that platforms cannot use “AI-generated” labeling alone as grounds for exemption from liability, and should strengthen facial recognition and pre-release review responsibilities. The Supreme People’s Court’s “Opinion on Lawfully Hearing Cases Involving Artificial Intelligence Disputes” has clarified that unauthorized use of AI to replicate another person’s image for commercial promotion constitutes an infringement of personality rights. Additionally, “AI virtual person livestream farms” have emerged in cities including Hangzhou and Shenzhen, where enterprises deploy virtual anchor accounts in bulk on platforms such as Douyin, Taobao, and Kuaishou for round-the-clock livestream merchandise promotion, sparking discussion over industry regulation and labor force displacement.

Market And Capital : In the A-share market, concept stocks related to virtual digital humans showed active performance. Arcvideo Technologies rose 5.59% on the day as a target combining multiple concepts including virtual digital humans; Fengshang Culture Group Co., Ltd.’s subsidiary Fengshang Huyu (锋尚互娱) operates business segments including virtual performance cloud platforms and virtual digital human operators, and previously collaborated with Migu to create the metaverse scene “J WORLD”; Hebei Broadcasting and Television Wireless Media developed an AI-based digital human interaction system, integrating digital humans into pan-screen applications such as IPTV set-top boxes and OTT; Huanrui Century also collaborated with N Shijie (N世界) to launch an interactive AI digital human for promotional efforts around the drama series “Lotus Tower.” Alibaba Cloud announced that its virtual digital human product will cease new purchase services starting November 30, 2026, and recommended users migrate to products 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); by contrast, Tengxun Yun Zhineng (腾讯云智能)’s small-sample digital human production platform and Baidu’s Xi Ling Shuzi Ren (曦灵数字人) platform (later upgraded to “Baidu Yijing (百度一镜)”) continue to iterate, and Baidu previously launched “digital human Luo Yonghao (罗永浩)” livestreaming and “high-persuasion digital human” technology. Following the release of opinions on technology-driven commerce by China’s Ministry of Commerce nine departments, concepts such as robots and virtual digital human companions boosted market sentiment, with humanoid robot concept stocks such as Yushu Keji (宇树科技) surging during intraday trading.

Product and Technology Platform : AIGCPanel released version 2.6.0, adding the capability to generate digital human avatars directly from static photos, and optimizing the speech synthesis module to allow users to adjust synthesis parameters for customized output effects, thereby lowering the barrier to entry for digital human content creation. Yuanqi Xingji Zhi Men (元启星际之门) (BossAI) showcased a full-stack AI tool matrix including AI digital humans at the innovation and entrepreneurship conference held in Guiyang, positioning it as a productivity component callable by “solo entrepreneur” creators. Additionally, in the field of AI compliance and legal services, senior advisor Yu Zehui (于泽辉) of Beijing Xing Ye Lvshi Shiwusuo (北京星也律师事务所) systematically explained the legal boundaries of “AI face-stealing” in an interview on Guduo Live, clarifying that using AI to replicate, synthesize, or manipulate another person’s recognizable likeness or voice without consent and applying it to commercial creation constitutes infringement of portrait rights, voice rights, or personal information interests, and recommended that ordinary individuals clarify usage scope, duration, and restrictions when authorizing digital avatars.