13 October 2026 Weibo

Entertainment Industry : Mango TV (芒果TV) officially announced the launch of five new native AI artists—Cheng Du, Fang Yu, Lin Enna, Qi Xu, and Zhan Yan. These five virtual artists are not digital avatars of real actors, but original AI characters created from scratch with independent personas. They will co-star in Mango TV’s first AI live-action drama series “Amazing Friend,” which according to netizens “Star Sleep Meets Autumn” and “Bai Zhoubanting (白粥拌亭),” is scheduled to premiere on October 14. Multiple Weibo users noted that these AI artists have opened certified social media accounts on platforms like Weibo, simulating the operational model of real artists by posting lifestyle updates and launching character-specific discussion boards, formally entering the mainstream film and television industry as performers. Netizens “California Lost Love Letter” and “Cabbage Roll lalala” pointed out that compared to the common plastic appearance and stiff expressions of previous digital humans, these AI images are closer to real people in details such as skin pores, micro-expressions, and demeanor, presenting a more natural visual appearance. Netizen “Whisper Collection” believes this represents a technological exploration by China’s entertainment industry, with AI digital humans serving as a new creative medium to enrich storytelling forms. However, there are also considerable skeptical voices. Netizen “Zai Zai Loves Cats” questioned whether these algorithmically generated faces, physiques, and voices are merely heading toward “virtual existence,” while netizen “He Taoxiaoyao (核桃小腰)” directly stated, “When there are real living people, who would want to watch lifeless virtual beings.” Meanwhile, the official account of Korean virtual idol group PLAVE announced that their new work “HYPERDRIVE” comeback livestream has gone online, with fans expressing anticipation and support under relevant topics. The group’s related content has been tagged under the “Virtual People Playing Weibo” topic.

Ethical Contexts : China Economic Net (中国经济网) published a “China Economic Cartoon” column raising questions about “virtual influencers’ claims of ‘personally tested and proven effective’ not withstanding scrutiny,” pointing out that under advertising law, endorsers are prohibited from making recommendations or testimonials for products or services they have not actually used, while AI virtual persons “lack mouths and stomachs, eyes and bodies,” and are fundamentally incapable of genuinely “personally testing” products. The account cited typical cases of false advertising reported by the State Administration for Market Regulation in September this year, noting that instances of false advertising utilizing AI virtual persons have already emerged, and cautioned the public to remain vigilant about the authenticity and compliance of virtual person endorsement content.