8 November 2026 News

Marketing : AI digital humans for shop exploration have formed a mature industrial chain in China. Multiple media outlets including CCTV Finance and China National Radio reported that merchants need only upload four photos of their storefronts to generate realistic shop exploration videos in just over ten minutes, with a single person capable of producing 50 videos per day at costs two-thirds lower than real-person shop exploration. The practice of “exploring shops without visiting stores” and fabricating consumer experiences has raised regulatory and public attention for allegedly violating the Advertising Law and the Internet Information Service Deep Synthesis Management Regulations. Zhejiangsheng Xiaobaowei (浙江省消保委) jointly with Quanguo Dianzishangwu Zhiliang Guanli Biaozhunhua Jishu Weiyuanhui (全国电子商务质量管理标准化技术委员会) (SAC/TC563) launched the “AI E-commerce Compliance Governance and Consumer Environment Co-construction Initiative” in Hangzhou. Pin Duoduo (拼多多), Taotian Group, Wuyou Chuanmei (无忧传媒), Qunar, and Wangyi Yanxuan (网易严选) jointly released a proposal requiring continuous and prominent labeling of AI digital human anchor content and strictly prohibiting AI face-swapping to impersonate celebrities in product promotion. Shenzhen Business Daily reported that during the 2026 “Double 11” period, Tmall launched “AI - dol (AI-dol)” digital human relay livestreaming, with AI avatars of celebrities including Ning Zetao (宁泽涛) participating in product promotion, with related topic views reaching 6.11 billion. JD.com’s digital human JoyAvatar has cumulatively served over 100,000 merchants, with over 9 million hours of broadcasts during the first half of “Double 11” and sales exceeding 1.3 billion yuan. Simultaneously, AI face-theft product promotion chaos has emerged, with celebrities including Wu Yue (吴越) and Deng Yaping (邓亚萍) having their images illegally used by AI, and Zuigaorenminfayuan (最高人民法院) has clarified that such conduct constitutes infringement of portrait rights and voice rights. Guangzhou Yueguang Xinxi Keji (广州越光信息科技) applied for a patent on “multi-national digital human image and multi-language voice-over automatic adaptation,” achieving synchronized matching of digital human images with target countries and platforms through 3DGS models. Wuhan Zhongzhi Shuzi Jishu (武汉众智数字技术) applied for a patent on “digital human lip-shape generation methods and systems,” controlling lip-sync errors within 35 milliseconds, applicable to livestreaming, online education, and film and television production scenarios. Ping An Property Insurance applied for a patent on “vehicle insurance seat digital human generation methods,” enhancing digital human generation quality and scenario adaptability through dual-branch neural network adversarial training. iFLYTEK obtained invention patent authorization for “digital human generation model training methods,” improving digital human lip detail clarity through lip blur loss value training. Xiangliang Yongxian ( Shanghai ) Rengongzhineng Keji (向量涌现(上海)人工智能科技) applied for a patent on “digital avatar construction methods and systems based on conversational interviews,” using “avatar DNA” as an intermediate carrier to enhance digital avatar construction efficiency. Baidu’s Business Technology Department’s “Yijing (一镜)” digital human technology serves as the underlying foundation fully integrated into the creative platform “Qing Duo (擎舵),” supporting digital human livestreaming, video, and real-time interaction. The Yijing (一镜)-R1 model supports 720P high-definition direct output at costs reduced by over half compared to similar products. iFLYTEK leverages Qing Duo (擎舵) Agent to achieve a tenfold productivity increase in short-form video material production. A leading daily chemical industry group jointly with Shushangyun (数商云) built a digital human intelligent agent matrix, creating brand advisor, channel business assistant, and internal knowledge digital employee roles respectively for consumers, distributors, and internal staff, sharing a unified intelligent core.

Virtual Idols & Entertainment : Domestic theatrical film “Sanxingdui: Tales of the Future” iQIYI as the first domestic animated feature utilizing AI technology, combining ancient Shu culture to construct science fiction narratives, yet sparked narrative controversy due to missing facial expressions of digital characters and a sense of interactive alienation. Shen Yujie (沈羽洁) Chen Heyi (陈鹤一) officially announced “Unwilling to Envy Mandarin Ducks, Only to Envy Immortals” as “China’s first online drama with formal actor authorization for full AI production,” authorizing only likenesses and voices without participating in live-action shooting, with AI generating all screen content, but director Wei Zheng (韦正) responded that it was actually a “live-action performance plus AI technology assistance” ultra-long series of thousands of minutes, revealing contradictions between official publicity and actual production methods. Mangguo TV (芒果TV) formally launched five native AI artists Chengdu, Fangyu, Lin Enna, Qi Xu, and Zhanyan on October 12, operating independent social accounts following real-artist models; “Awesome Friend,” starring Chengdu, was produced by Mangguo TV (芒果TV) AIGC Innovation Content Center, marking the mainland entertainment industry’s first AI human drama launched through a complete management model. Jitai (济台) co-produced the Qin Qiong-themed AI micro-drama “Please Ascend the Lingyue Pavilion,” officially released in Jinan, with cross-strait teams collaboratively creating an AI digital Qin Qiong image, telling the story of a Taiwanese youth traveling through Jinan triggering runic secrets that awaken Qin Qiong, to be launched on multiple cross-strait platforms. Xian XR Dianying Chanyejidi (西安XR电影产业基地) produced the XR film “Dream Back to Yan’an” (Part One), utilizing real-person scan modeling, motion capture, and digital translation technology to create digital characters including the thirteen-year-old young Red Army soldier Axuan, with the entire production process from real-person scanning, skeleton rigging to motion capture completed in a 360-square-meter optical motion capture studio. Actor Chen Jianbin (陈建斌) responded to the AI doppelgänger topic, stating that her AI image “becomes increasingly like me,” but emphasized that AI provides richness and diversity while real-life actors provide soul and spiritual essence, which AI cannot replace.

In-Car & Embodied Digital Humans : Zhejiangsheng Gonganting (浙江省公安厅) Anti-fraud consulting agent Zheli Fanzha · Zhixun (浙里反诈·智询) made its debut at the 2026 World Internet Conference – Wuzhen Summit “Internet Light” Expo, with a 3D digital police officer image co-created by Zhejiangsheng Gonganting (浙江省公安厅) and MoFa (Shanghai) Information Technology Co., Ltd. presented through a holographic projection display cabinet, leveraging “multimodal perception” and “anti-fraud smart brain” to enable natural language two-way Q&A, providing 7×24-hour consulting online through the “Zhejiang Anti-fraud” WeChat official account, and conducting interactive anti-fraud education offline through screen-based intelligent agents, with Morpho Starcloud end-to-end embodied interaction technology providing full-chain support. Xinhuashe (新华社) jointly with You Bixuan (优必选) released the world’s first pair of biomimetic humanoid robot news anchors “Xinyan” and “Xinyu” at the Seventh World Media Summit, with image design led by Zhang Yimou (张艺谋), leveraging Xinhuashe (新华社) AI political information intelligent agent Xin Huayu Dian (新华语典) to achieve traceable content verification and mitigate AI hallucination risks, with 1:1 human-scale biomimetic skin and micro-expressions supporting 7×24-hour on-duty service and multilingual broadcasting, officially positioned as “new colleagues” assisting editorial departments in in-depth reporting and fact-checking rather than replacing human journalists. Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone launched the nation’s first embodied robot performance “sandbox approval” pilot during the 2026 World Robot Conference, with Shouxing Keji (首形科技), Zhongke Huiling (中科慧灵), and Aka Pani (阿卡帕尼) receiving “Embodied Robot Performance ‘Sandbox Approval’ Admission Certificates,” following the economic development zone’s prior launch of the nation’s first digital human commercial performance sandbox pilot, now extended to physical robots, with reviews covering responsible entities, information security, and expression security, and establishing a closed-loop mechanism of “identity admission—content review—on-site monitoring—status feedback—responsibility to individuals.”

Cultural & Tourism Applications : At the Ninth China International Import Expo, Juxing Chuanqi (巨星传奇) unveiled Pandabot Cafe for its global premiere, with stores designed around the concept of “computing power decoration,” featuring a service matrix composed of a robotic-arm barista, a humanoid robot store manager, a cyberpunk-style trendy art robot dog UNI - DOGGIE (UNI-DOGGIE), and an AI digital human order-taker, with the first store planned to open in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong on November 11. Juxing Chuanqi (巨星传奇) Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer Lai Guohui (赖国辉) proposed that “IP’s next destination is AI.” Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Department of Culture and Tourism created an immersive exhibition zone at the Seventeenth Cross-Strait (Xiamen) China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industry Fair, with digital human “Ning Xiaomo” and cultural tourism robots “Grape Qi Bao” and “Qi Xiaoxia” providing full-program guided tours, coordinated with the premiere of the VR large-scale space project《Glory in the Fourth Year of Qingli: The Western Xia Princess》. The Shanxi cultural large model “Jinwen AI (晋问AI)” officially launched in Taiyuan, serving as China’s first vertical large model focusing on Shanxi regional culture, establishing “seven major cultural intelligence agents” covering knowing Shanxi, tracing roots, meeting merchants, creating cultural content, remembering beacon fires, recognizing ancient architecture, and visiting notable figures, with 3D digital human “Jin Bean” wearing Shanxi embroidery vests and speaking Taiyuan dialect, combined with AI+AR smart glasses to achieve intelligent guided tours. In Nanjing Qixia District’s autumn vacation study-travel products, Jiangsu Fenghuang Xinhua Yinwu Jituan (江苏凤凰新华印务集团)’s AI digital human “Bi Sheng” demonstrates movable-type printing, guiding primary and secondary school students to understand Chinese character evolution through surname-tracing interactive experiences. The “Museum City——Fifth Hangzhou Cultural and Creative Achievements Exhibition” organized by Hangzhoushi Yuanlin Wenwuju (杭州市园林文物局) released the Hangzhou cultural heritage AI digital human “Gold Recommendation Officer No. 1,” modeled on the Song Dynasty figure Su Dongpo and trained with in-depth analysis of millions of cultural relics data, providing interpretation and guided tour services in conjunction with the “Museum City” check-in passport. Jiangsu Fire Digital Human IPs “Su Xiaoxuan” and “Su Xiaoyong” made their formal debut at the 2026 Jiangsu Province Fire Safety Promotion Month launch ceremony, simultaneously initiating the Jiangsu Province Fire AIGC Short Video Creation Competition. Guizhou Guiyang (贵州贵阳) launched the “Digital Light and Shadow” AI Short Drama Competition, with Guiyang Da Shuju Jiaoyisuo (贵阳大数据交易所) Party Secretary Chen Wei (陈蔚) and Guizhou Provincial Film and Television Shooting Center Executive Vice Director Zhuang Liqiang (庄立强) appearing as digital human images in a short film unveiling the competition format, with the competition featuring three creative directions—cultural roots, era features, and Guizhou’s landscape charm—and providing cultural tourism data zones for support. The Nanjing Jiangsu Trading Group showcased innovative practices of new-form time-honored brands including the AI digital human “Su Xiaomei” at the Ninth Import Expo Humanities Exchange Activities, with 113 Chinese time-honored brands among the province’s 414 time-honored brands embracing digital transformation in this manner. Hubei Wenlv (湖北文旅) created the AI digital human “Beibei,” with both animated and live-action model versions, serving as a “companionship-style guide” linking provincial cultural tourism resources throughout, with a new media matrix covering 21 platforms and total followers exceeding 13.5 million. Hubei Communist Youth League’s “Hu Xiaoqing” IP evolved to version 4.0, extending into various expressions including virtual digital humans and AI images, applied to work updates, news short videos, and thematic promotions. Jiangsusheng Guangbodianshi Zongtai (江苏省广播电视总台) introduced virtual host “Le Yi” and related content such as Su Super Express in the “Su Super” omnichannel media transmission, enriching the event content matrix.

Education & Public Services : Xianggang Xinru Zhi Jiaoshi Neidi Xuexituan (香港新入职教师内地学习团) Visit Foshanshi Zhong Huangxing Yu Gangao Zidixuexiao (佛山市中黄星瑜港澳子弟学校) to observe an AI-empowered demonstration class in a junior middle school English lesson where AI digital humans engage in dialogue and interaction with students. Guangzhou Lvshi Falv Fuwutuan (广州律师法律服务团) launched two AI digital lawyers for the first time at the 140th Canton Fair. Xiaolv Tongxue AI digital human made its debut at a national-level major trade and economic expo for the first time, with a knowledge base covering fundamental legal issues in 168 countries and regions and supporting interactive communication in over 20 languages—a Bulgarian merchant received point-by-point answers from the digital human in his native language. Shuang Boshi (爽博士) intelligent agent supports interactive communication in Simplified Chinese, English, and Cantonese as well as real-time telephone voice responses, with the original IP image “Farong Rong” making its first appearance at the same time. Migu Wenhua Keji (咪咕文化科技) and Zhongguoyidongtongxinjituan (中国移动通信集团) filed a patent application for a “human-machine interaction method” involving sign language interpretation through virtual humans and automatic adjustment of virtual human presentation forms based on spatial status information of deaf and hard of hearing users.

Telecom & Media Industry Applications : BesTV AI application “Zhiping Suixing (智屏随行)” made its debut at the 2026 Mobile World Conference and will soon launch on Hubei Mobile’s large screen. The large screen AI digital human page supports voice-based content search, real-time chat while viewing, and cross-screen interaction, backed by content understanding support from BesTV’s “Zhenxi (帧析)” AI annotation platform. Rongyao (荣耀) CEO Li Jian (李健) introduced the AHI “Smart Empowerment, Human-Centered” concept at the 2026 Mobile World Conference, adding a new TQ trust dimension to create a user symbiosis-oriented YOYO intelligent agent, positioning it as an efficient assistant, trusted companion, and digital avatar for users. Qingdao Ribaoshe (青岛日报社) Reading Reference’s integrated media release digital editorial department construction plan, through a “Lingzhi Zhineng Ti (灵芝智能体)+Gui Lifang (硅立方) journal digital smart editing and publishing system+digital workforce content distribution matrix” three-in-one architecture, restructures the entire editing and publishing workflow. The digital workforce content distribution matrix is encapsulated by position into roles including content collectors, writers, video editors, anchors, channel operators, and analytics reviewers, with five existing digital anchors on the front end, operational execution delegated to machines while value judgments reserved for humans.

Finance & Enterprise Applications : Zhongguo Pingan Caichanbaoxian (中国平安财产保险) Applied for a patent on “a method for generating digital humans for vehicle insurance seats,” which enhances the quality and scenario adaptability of vehicle insurance digital human generation through constructing a dual-branch neural network comprising a visual generation branch and a business interaction branch, and performing adversarial training. Zhongguo Shiyou (中国石油) Kunlun Da Moxing (昆仑大模型) The platform has formed 152 application scenarios, including a “digital avatar” system of 172 experts serving as round-the-clock online “digital mentors” for new employees to consult at any time, converting professional experience accumulated by veteran staff from individual knowledge into enterprise-wide shared resources. Haerbinshi Zhaoyang Kejikaifa (哈尔滨市朝阳科技开发有限公司) Launched more than a dozen commercialized products including government affairs Q&A digital humans and digital employees, serving the transformation of the government affairs AI track. Zheshang Wenhualuntan (浙商文化论坛) On-site demonstrations through digital human presentations and exclusive digital human public welfare services showcase AI technology implementation achievements and inclusive value.

Ethical Contexts & Regulation : China Media Group China Voice and multiple media outlets reported that AI shop-visit videos have sparked legal boundary disputes over “visiting without arriving at the shop.” Experts point out that AI labeling obligations and content authenticity obligations are independent of each other; even if marked as AI-generated, content that is inaccurate or misleading still constitutes false advertising and is unlawful. Zuigaorenminfayuan (最高人民法院) The “Opinion on Lawfully Trying AI-Related Dispute Cases” issued in September 2026 explicitly stipulates that using AI to generate recognizable virtual digital images of someone without consent and using or disclosing them constitutes infringement of portrait rights and other personality interests; using another person’s voice without consent to train and generate synthetic voices constitutes infringement of voice rights; manipulating virtual images to publish false statements constitutes infringement of reputation rights; and specifically regulates the counterfeiting of celebrity product endorsement behavior. Shenzhen Commercial Daily reported that parallel to officially authorized AI digital human avatars, “AI face-theft gangs” have formed a gray industry chain, with upstream image capture of amateur models, midstream face extraction for training, and downstream acquisition and resale by intermediaries. Quan Hongchan (全红婵), Sun Yingsha (孙颖莎), Wang Chuqin (王楚钦) and other sports stars as well as deceased entertainer Liu Huan (刘欢) have had their AI clone images illegally used for sales. The director of Guangdong Xingchen Law Firm Shi Qi (石奇) points out that authorization addresses “awareness” rather than “authorization” or “authenticity,” and consumers can claim triple damages under Article 55 of the Consumer Protection Law. Quanguozonggonghui (全国总工会) issued a reminder indicating that AI voice cloning technology could be exploited by criminals using seconds of voice samples to impersonate identities for fraud, recommending a three-second pause when answering calls from strangers to prevent voice cloning; under the AI voice cloning business model, podcast host Mi Zai (咪仔) authorized voice cloning for product promotion, sparking discussion on voice exclusivity, while voice actor Ji Guanlin (季冠霖) holds a cautious stance. Douyin removed 1.135 million non-compliant short videos and 507,000 non-compliant accounts within a month under “account health score rules,” including 1,617 accounts using AI digital humans to impersonate celebrity relatives for sales and 401 accounts synthetically producing content in public figures’ voice patterns. National Radio and Television Administration announced a new round of micro-drama rectification with treatment scope including AI misappropriation of others’ faces and voices, as well as the same drama being repeatedly broadcast under different titles or character names (“name-change rebroadcast”), with the treatment period from November 1 to the end of December.