Livestreaming (直播) is very popular nowadays. But have you watched livestreaming shows given by virtual hosts (虚拟主播) ? They look like real people, but actually they're just digital (数字的) characters created by AI companies.
Xmov is such an AI company in China. Set up in 2018, it has created many great digital humans. The company is the first in China to create virtual social media star named Ling, who is always seen in a traditional Chinese costume. In August, 2023, the company also used a 3-D AI host to show their new products to more than 300 guests at an event, which caused a heated discussing among people.
Now, many companies are using virtual hosts to sell their products through livestreaming. For one thing, it costs much less than building a traditional livestreaming room and team. Foranother, virtual hosts can work 24 hours a day. And tests have shown that they can do the jobs aswell as human workers.
Virtual characters are expected to be used in more industries. In the near future, we may see them act as teachers, salespeople, guides, and so on. It will not only reshape many industries, but also allow human workers to put more energy into creative work instead of doing repetitivejobs that need doing repeatedly.
The AI technology is fantastic without doubt, but it can't completely take human's place. For example, it will be difficult for digital humans to build trust with customers like real people. Also the use of digital workers may lead to some safety problems if they're not well managed orcontrolled.
