21 October 2026 News

Policy and Regulation : China’s Ministry of Commerce jointly issued the “Opinions on Accelerating the Promotion of Science and Technology for Commercial Development” with Cyberspace Administration of China, National Development and Reform Commission, Jiaoyubu (教育部), Ministry of Science and Technology, China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Zhongguorenminyinhang (中国人民银行), and State Administration for Market Regulation, explicitly proposing to “uphold technology for good and cultivate new intelligent service business formats such as robots and virtual digital human companions that are healthy and well-regulated,” establishing this as an important sector for expanding service consumption. China’s Ministry of Commerce’s Market System Construction Division Director Meng Yue (孟岳) introduced at a China State Council Information Office press conference that the first batch of “Digital Human Innovation Centers” have achieved high-fidelity restoration of digital humans in aspects such as facial features, expressions, and movements, with widespread applications in live-streaming e-commerce, intelligent shopping guides, and other scenarios, currently serving more than ten thousand enterprises and helping them reduce costs and increase efficiency. Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Industrial Development Division official Zhou Hanping (周汉萍) simultaneously disclosed that the “Artificial Intelligence + Culture and Tourism” application pilot program has selected and approved 14 projects, covering scenarios such as AI digital human tour guides in museums and AI travel assistants, with subsequent efforts to promote pilot achievements through nationwide replication and promotion. Shandongshengrenminzhengfu (山东省人民政府)’s issued “Shandong Province Tourism Industry Development ‘15th Five-Year Plan’” further clarified support for deploying digital human guides at scenic areas, applying AIGC and three-dimensional printing technology to innovate cultural and creative design, and creating new modes of “Artificial Intelligence + Mixed Reality” tour guidance and navigation.

Cultural Tourism : Digital human applications have been implemented across multiple cultural and tourism venues: Hongcun ancient village in Yixian County, Anhui has launched “Huiyin,” the country’s first AR digital human tour guide for ancient villages, leading visitors through Yuanzhao and Chengzhi Hall; at the fifth Xiangxi Prefecture tourism development conference in Hunan, the biomimetic cultural tourism robot “Moya·Cuicui” debuted at Huayuan Chagudong ancient town, equipped with constant-temperature skin and contextual awareness intelligence, creating a virtual-physical convergence with AI digital human “Cuicui” as the core explanation carrier of the scenic area’s “digital humanities information station”; Hubei Zhongjue Wenhuachuanmei (湖北中珏文化传媒) launched the traditional Chinese medicine digital IP “Yao Bu Fan” and the “AI Xunyao Ren (AI寻药人)” platform, bringing online an intelligent matrix of digital renowned physicians including Pang Anshi, Li Shizhen, Wan Mizhai, and Yan Di Shen Nong, successfully selected as a typical application scenario in Hubei Province’s second batch of artificial intelligence; the Wudang Mountain scenic area’s digital human “Wudang Ling’er” debuted and was included in typical cases of the 2026 China tourism industry influence; Yangcheng Good People Hall in Jiangsu introduced the digital human “Yang Xiaoshao” to interact with visitors and narrate stories of good people; Guangzhou’s Foreign-Related Legal Consultation Service Port for the first time introduced AI intelligent digital human “Xiaolv Tongxue AI” to the 140th Canton Fair, independently developed by Guangdong Nanfang Fu Ruide Lvshi Shiwusuo (广东南方福瑞德律师事务所), providing real-time legal consultation and intelligent contract review services in over 20 languages for domestic and foreign business clients.

Entertainment : The entertainment industry is accelerating mass production of AI virtual artists: Mangguo TV (芒果TV) jointly with Lize Yingye (丽泽影业) launched five AI artists named Chengdu, Fangyu, Lin Enna, Qi Xu, and Zhanyan based on “Mangguo Lingchuang (芒果灵创)” technology, completed formal registration and approval, and operates under a real-person management model, starring in the AI live-action drama “Amazing Friends,” gaining 600,000 followers on debut day, but also triggering “face-clashing” controversy; meanwhile, the mainland virtual AI girl group BABYQUEEN sparked widespread criticism over a farce involving member Mity fabricating a “pregnancy withdrawal,” after which the creators admitted the team was actually a self-entertainment project by several students, with the so-called “pregnancy” plot merely a scripted exit designed to “reduce their burden”; Chuangyi Technology CEO Liang Zikang (梁子康), the operator behind the phenomenal virtual digital human IP “Liu Yexi,” stated at the 2026 Yangtze River Delta International Youth Film Festival that emotion is the most core way to connect the virtual world, and his team insists on the principle of letting digital humans “eat” and “use” products requiring genuine experience; actor Wu Yue (吴越) encountered AI face-swapping and voice-cloning impersonation for product promotion, with the account “Huajie Meifu Riji (花姐美肤日记)” stealing his image and exploiting Deng Yaping (邓亚萍) to peddle skincare products, after Wu Yue publicly spoke out for rights protection the account was permanently banned, with experts pointing out that AI impersonation videos constitute personality rights infringement even if labeled “AI-generated”; actor Chen Yilong (陈奕龙) proactively authorized his facial image to a studio to create an AI digital avatar for use in AI film production.

Enterprise and Digital Workforce : The AI digital workforce economy is emerging in multiple regions: The Bocai Bang Keji (菠菜帮科技)-operated Bazhao Yu OPC (八找鱼OPC) platform in Beijing has launched nearly 200 free AI digital employees covering full industry chains, including positions such as AI chief executive officer and AI architectural designer. Its strategic incubator Yiqian Lingyi Yishuzhi (壹仟零壹艺数智) (Beijing) Technology provides support for the position spectrum through its industrial layout in architectural design and engineering, and undertakes multi-platform operations on Douyin and WeChat Video Channels through an AI content matrix in the He Mei Xiaozhen (和美小镇) project established in Enshi, Hubei. At the Tenth Future Network Development Conference in Nanjing, Zijinshan Shiyanshi (紫金山实验室), Jiangsu Weilai Wangluo Jituan (江苏未来网络集团), Data Jiqiren (达塔机器人) (Jinan), and Shandong Maersi Jiqiren (山东马尔斯机器人) jointly compiled and released the White Paper on Cloud Robotic Deterministic Network Architecture (V1.0), presided over by Huang Xiaoqing (黄晓庆), the “father of cloud robotics,” proposing a new OPC entrepreneurial paradigm of “one person sets direction, robots manage, digital humans execute.” A single physical executive robot can coordinate and dispatch hundreds to thousands of cloud-based digital employee workers, and has completed verification in four major scenarios: AI content studios, intelligent unmanned retail stores, community Chinese medicine health and wellness, and premium sommelier intelligent services. Liuliang Cheng Dianshang Chanyeyuan (流量城电商产业园) in Angan County, Handan, Hebei and Dong Taidong Tingyuandian OPC Shequ (东台东亭元点OPC社区) in Yancheng, Jiangsu, along with Yannan Yanli Chaoti OPC Chuangxin Shequ (盐南盐力超体OPC创新社区), have successively implemented digital human content production and computing power subsidy mechanisms to support creators in batch-producing AI digital human videos for cross-border e-commerce and short-form drama creation.

Commerce and Marketing : Multiple enterprises are advancing commercialized applications of virtual digital humans. Hebei Guangdian Wuxian Chuanmei (河北广电无线传媒) disclosed that it has independently developed an AI-based digital human interaction system, completing image capture modeling, skeleton motion binding, and interactive scenario development, which can be seamlessly integrated into pan-screen applications such as IPTV set-top boxes, OTT, and smart terminals; Sichuan Xinwenwang Chuanmei (四川新闻网传媒)’s first virtual IP anchor “Xiaoya” integrates AR, AI, and motion capture technology for live streaming commerce; Hong Kong-listed company Tianji Konggu (天机控股)’s Haitun Jiedian (海豚节点有限公司) developed AI creation and intelligent agent platform DolphinOne officially launched its 2.0 version and landed on Apple App Store, continuing to expand across multimodal applications including image generation, video creation, music generation, digital humans, and intelligent agents, and has initiated preliminary business discussions with several potential enterprise customers regarding virtual digital human and enterprise intelligent agent solutions; Jili Qiche (吉利汽车)’s Xingrui L PLUS was the first to introduce EVA intelligent physical robots into the cabin, equipped with over 60 dynamic facial expressions, and deeply integrated with FlymeAuto 2 cabin systems and multi-zone voice recognition, replacing traditional cold vehicle-machine voice assistants with emotionalized interactions; Alibaba Cloud announced that due to product strategy adjustments, its virtual digital human products built on Alibaba DAMO Academy voice, image, 3D art, and natural language processing technologies are initiating delisting, with full service discontinuation by the end of November 2027, and users can migrate to alternative solutions including Mayi Lingjing (蚂蚁灵境), Xiangxin (相芯), and Yiwise; Lingqun Diannao (凌群电脑) and Riben CIJ (日本CIJ) signed a strategic cooperation agreement to introduce the “smart computer person Syscom Cubi” technology into the Japanese market, a product that uses virtual avatars as front-end entry points to connect enterprise knowledge bases with ERP and CRM systems, capable of taking on multiple digital employee roles such as customer service, business assistant, and HR assistant.

Healthcare : A new paradigm of “virtual patient drug testing” has emerged in computational medicine, with Zhongke Jisuanjishu Xibu Yanjiuyuan (中科计算技术西部研究院), Tuling - Daerwen Shiyanshi (图灵-达尔文实验室) and Zheyuan Keji (哲源科技) jointly incubating a life world model. Researcher Zhao Yu (赵宇) describes this technology as “navigation-based R&D,” with the team releasing WHIRLPOOL Jisuan Yixue Pingtai (WHIRLPOOL计算医学平台) on October 18 in Shenzhen, aimed at building virtual patients and conducting virtual clinical trials to shift the trial-and-error costs of new drug development to the virtual world. Professor Jiang Min (江旻), director of the office of Beijingdaxue Zhongliuyiyuan (北京大学肿瘤医院) drug clinical trial institution, has previously conducted virtual clinical trials based on digital twins of tumor patients, with predicted results showing high concordance with actual clinical outcomes, and has collaborated with Shanghaichangzhengyiyuan (上海长征医院) to complete virtual screening and clinical validation of CDK4/6 inhibitors for the rare tumor indication chordoma.

Companion AI and Ethical Risks : Short video platforms are experiencing a surge of AI digital personas named “Xiaohai,” Beijinghangkonghangtiandaxue (北京航空航天大学) which fabricate scripts involving single parenthood and difficult circumstances to elicit sympathy from middle-aged and elderly users before promoting products for profit. Xinjiang Urumqi Railway Police once intercepted a 79-year-old illiterate man who traveled alone by train to Yuncheng, Shanxi Province solely to visit this non-existent “relative.” Zhao Jingwu (赵精武) A law school associate professor pointed out that the batch-generated “Xiaohai” personas created by account operators already constitute suspected fraud, and labeling content as “AI-generated” does not exempt platforms and operators from responsibility. Multiple parties have called on short video platforms to advance content review responsibilities and establish “silver-age protection modes.” Concurrently, mainland social platforms have witnessed a surge in “facial authorization” side gig trends, where participants upload frontal and side profile photos along with full-body images, check off authorized content categories, and then “list” themselves for selection by AI short drama producers. Individual authorization compensation typically ranges from 500 to 10,000 yuan, but lawyers warn that facial features constitute non-resettable biometric information. Once incorporated into AI training data, it becomes extremely difficult to delete, and AI-generated likenesses can easily circumvent traditional standards for rights protection and evidence collection. Additionally, AI roleplay gameplay has emerged among younger domestic users, spawning customized “AI character profile instruction” trading services. Content creators provide users with scenario settings and dialogue optimization for virtual personas such as otome game male leads and original characters, with prices typically ranging from 5 to 10 yuan per thousand characters.

Capital Markets : In the A-share market, virtual digital humans have become an active concept sector, with the sector index rising 2% in a single day on October 20th, with FanTuo Digital Creation, Luster LightTech, ST Kaiyuan (ST开元), Kaipuyun, Arcvideo Technologies and other individual stocks leading the gains; Hebei Guangdian Wuxian Chuanmei (河北广电无线传媒), Sichuan Newsnet Media Group, Sichuan Newsnet Media Group, Hongruan Keji (虹软科技), Haitian Ruisheng (海天瑞声), Aoni Dianzi (奥尼电子), Bohui Keji (博汇科技), Baotong Technology and other companies have all attracted capital attention due to involvement in virtual digital human business, with Hebei Broadcasting and Television Wireless Media’s disclosed digital human interactive system having achieved high-fidelity restoration of human likeness, expressions, and movements.