2021 Virtual Beings Group China Timeline
2021 Virtual Beings Group China Timeline
- 2021, December - Xiaoice unveils “digital twin” virtual human tech and launches “NBD AI TV” with virtual anchors, enabling end-to-end automated video production/broadcasting.
- 2021, December - Taobao/Tmall roll out a virtual human shopping-guide feature; 3D virtual guide “AI Wendy” pilots in beauty, then expands to more categories.
- 2021, November - Beijing Institute of Technology showcases a high-precision “digital Peking Opera person” project (“Mei Lanfang returns in a digital image”).
- 2021, November - BlueFocus discloses in-depth cooperation with Tencent on “virtual human” as an “entrance to the metaverse.”
- 2021, November - PingWest frames virtual humans as redefining public appearances and social experiences in China.
- 2021, November - “Next Generation / Next World Culture” (Beijing) appears in deal/news updates tied to the “virtual human economy” and metaverse hype.
- 2021, November - “Angie” is profiled as a virtual influencer with a large fanbase (China social/creator economy context).
- 2021, October - China.org.cn reports developers say China’s first virtual student “Hua Zhibing” is not a deepfake; Xiaoice explains face/voice generation frameworks and how motion was sourced.
- 2021, October - Deepbrain AI signs to supply “AI Announcer” tech to Qinghai TV and Beijing Radio & Television Station (BRTV).
- 2021, October - Tech in Asia reports NetEase leads a US$5M round for virtual human startup Next Generation (creator of “AI Merror” and celebrity avatars).
- 2021, October - TechNode asks whether China’s virtual idol boom has staying power.
- 2021, October - SCMP covers why Chinese millennials prefer virtual influencers to real-life KOLs.
- 2021, October - Deepbrain AI wins “Best Technology Innovation and Service Application” at the 2021 China Media Convergence Conference.
- 2021, September - Xiaoice launches/announces “Xiaoice Island,” a social app for immersive interaction with virtual characters, positioning Xiaoice as a Beijing-headquartered spinoff accelerating commercialization.
- 2021, August - ByteDance (Beijing-based) acquires Pico, described as the world’s third-largest VR headset manufacturer (metaverse/VR strategy).
- 2021, August - CNN profiles an “imperfect” virtual influencer challenging beauty standards in China.
- 2021, August - Insider reports China’s “flawless AI idols” (virtual influencers) as consumer-facing marketing assets.
- 2021, August - Washington Post reports “AI/robot love” communities (e.g., Douban group) and AI-driven romance trends in China.
- 2021, August - Protocol highlights China’s “peiwan” gaming companion labor (online companionship economy).
- 2021, July - DealStreetAsia reports Beijing-based virtual synthetic character developer Next Generation secures “millions of US dollars” (Greater China deal flow).
- 2021, June - BAAI/WuDao 2.0 is linked to virtual student Hua Zhibing (China’s large-model + virtual human narrative).
- 2021, June - Engadget spotlights China’s gigantic multi-modal AI (broader foundation-model momentum).
- 2021, June - Xinhua “China Focus” introduces China’s first AI-powered virtual student.
- 2021, June - Bloomberg frames virtual singers as a multibillion-dollar industry in China.
- 2021, May - Sogou launches the “world’s first” AI sign-language news anchor.
- 2021, March - Business of Fashion reports L’Oréal unveils its first virtual idol in China (“Mr. Ou”).
- 2021, January - China News highlights an AI virtual anchor capable of speaking 30+ languages.
- 2021, January - China.org.cn reports the first virtual Chinese opera influencer “Ling” debuts on TV.
- 2021, January - Pandaily reports Bilibili presents China’s first virtual idol musical film.
- 2021, January - SenseTime introduces a “digital human receptionist” to a bank to streamline duty managers’ work.