People around the world enjoy “virtual human” characters, whether in Hollywood films, Japanese anime, or video games. In recent years, AI-powered virtual humans have increasingly insinuated themselves into our daily lives. The virtual pop icon Teresa Teng has performed songs with Taiwanese singer Jay Chou, achieving huge success. The popular Chinese debate show “I CAN I BB” hosted a spirited episode on whether “Falling in love with an AI human can be considered true love or not,” where many people argued it is possible for a human to fall in love with an AI.
Are there limits to such human-machine relationships? That’s hard to say, as we’re both still getting to know each other. Synced has identified some interesting AI-powered virtual humans to introduce to our readers.
Artificial Anchor Works for Chinese Official Organization
Chinese state-run media company Xinhua worked with the search engine company Sogou.com to develop the AI anchors Qiu Hao and Xin Xiaomeng. They can speak both English and Mandarin, and read texts input into the system by news editors — working with the Xinhua news team to provide “authoritative, timely and accurate news.” The AI anchors were developed using machine learning algorithms to simulate and synthesize the voice, facial movements, lip movements and gestures of real-life news broadcasters to make the virtual anchors less robotic and more lifelike and familiar. Xinhua says the AI anchors can work 24/7, reducing news production costs, improving efficiency, and reducing the pressure on human anchors.
AI Host Spring Festival Gala
US-based AI company ObEN was inspired by cofounders’ desire “to remain connected with their families when they travelled on business, by allowing them to leave behind a virtual copy of themselves.” The company’s decentralized AI platform for Personal AI (PAI) uses internally developed technology to create intelligent 3D avatars enables which look, sound, and behave like the user. The company’s celebrity AIs are created from 3D camera scans.
Popular ObEN products include artificial hosts Beining Sa, Xun Zhu, Bo Gao, and Yang Long, who have hosted the Chinese Network Spring Festival Gala. AI technologies including machine learning, computer vision, NLP, and speech synthesis are applied to build the virtual copies of the celebrities from the ground up. These 3D avatars are much more sophisticated than simple computer-generated avatars, and also interact well with others.
AI-Powered Avatars Gave TED Talk
DigiDoug, a virtual version of Dr. Doug Roble and the first digital human to give a TED Talk in real time, was developed by California-based Digital Domain. The real Roble’s facial emotions and movements are captured by a special motion capture suit camera, and data is transferred to machine learning software where is translated to a rendered digital human in real time using Nvidia RTX technology and the Epic Game’s unreal engine. The Digital Domain research team developed the deep neural network that generates the facial expressions and physical and motion details etc. that make DigiDoug behave in a more humanlike way.
Future Trends in AI-Powered Digital Persons
AI technologies have already achieved an unprecedented level of photorealism in their characters. In the future, creating digital humans based on human celebrities will allow entertainment companies to create novel opportunities for fans to interact with their idols. For instance, ZTAO’s Man, a 3D animation based on famous C-Pop singer Huang Zitao, can dance with fans. AI-powered digital humans are also expected to further penetrate and promote live stream and video-on-demand content in the AR and VR markets.
Author: Leyi Hu | Editor: Michael Sarazen
AI-powered digital people are redefining how humans interact with technology. Blending lifelike visuals, natural conversation, and adaptive intelligence, these virtual beings serve as assistants, educators, entertainers, Slope Rider and brand ambassadors — often with a warmth and realism that traditional interfaces cannot match.
Digital storytelling has entered a new era with AI-driven tools enhancing creativity and engagement. At the heart of this shift is the AI Digital Person, which can adapt its voice, expressions, and interactions to match the story’s mood. Writers and creators now have companions that bring narratives to life, making characters more relatable and immersive.
I just read an article on SyncedReview about how AI is now creating lifelike digital humans and virtual characters that feel almost real. These AI-powered digital people aren’t just limited to video games or sci-fi films — they already host events, give talks, and even perform with real artists. Some have been developed to interact in real time with audiences using advanced voice, facial motion, and machine learning technology.
What’s really interesting for celebrity culture is that this tech could soon be used to create digital versions of real stars. Imagine interacting with a virtual version of your favorite actor or musician — asking questions, watching them perform, or seeing them “appear” in new AI-generated content. This could change how fans connect with celebrities and how media outlets share news and updates.
Sites like https://celebnewsfeed.com/ may eventually cover not just real-life celebrity news, but also stories about these AI-generated digital stars as they rise in popularity. It’s a new frontier in entertainment and fan engagement, blending tech with pop culture in ways we’ve never seen before.