Recently, on some short video platforms, one might occasionally come across a rather "eerie" scene: as the camera sweeps across a room, dozens of computers are arranged on the table, with live-streaming hosts selling products in real-time on their screens, accompanied by the alarming caption: "It's terrifying! A 200-square-meter live-streaming base is completely empty, with only AI digital human hosts broadcasting." However, when the camera zooms in on the computer screens, the hosts appearing on them look as lifelike as real people upon closer inspection.
Since the advent of ChatGPT, there has been a resurgence of interest and discussion surrounding artificial intelligence (AI), prompting many industries to accelerate their "smart" initiatives. In the realm of live-streamed e-commerce, this has led to the emergence of "AI digital human hosts." Reporters have observed that in some companies in Jinan, AI digital human hosts have already begun to replace real people in live-streaming rooms.
So, whose jobs will AI take away this time? Some enterprises in Jinan are using "AI digital human hosts" to replace real people in their live-streaming rooms.
Virtual Hosts Going Live in Batches
"The digital human live-streaming test ran smoothly for three days without any system issues or platform violations," said Chen Lei, the General Manager of Maimang New Media, who has been deeply involved in the self-media field for over a decade. When "AI digital human hosts" emerged, he quickly recognized this new trend.
Chen explained that digital humans are not a new concept, with previous examples like Luo Tianyi and Liu Yexi being popular virtual idols. However, there are differences between these and the current trend of digital human hosts.
AI digital humans, also known as "2D ultra-realistic digital humans," have appearances that closely resemble ordinary people and can easily be mistaken for real individuals if not scrutinized carefully. "With AI technology, we can create a virtual digital human or even 'clone' a real person," Chen cautioned, "although the latter approach carries risks of infringing on portrait rights."
A few days ago, Chen officially introduced "AI digital human hosts" into his live-streaming room. "With various water parks set to become consumer hotspots, we've placed group-buying links in the live-streaming room and used 'AI digital human hosts' to provide automatic explanations," he said.
Chen also pointed out that the current capabilities of "AI digital human hosts" are limited, functioning more like a form of "pre-recorded broadcast" or a "mouthpiece" for real hosts. "A single digital human's effect is limited, so many companies now have multiple digital human hosts online simultaneously," he added.
24-Hour Non-Stop Live-Streaming
For Chen, the reason for choosing "AI digital human hosts" is simple: cost-effectiveness.
Over the years, live-streamed e-commerce hosts have become a standard position in many companies. Reporters found on some job platforms that in Jinan, the monthly salary for hiring a host ranges from a few thousand to tens of thousands of yuan, not including commissions. "This is just the base salary, and there are usually commissions on top of that," Chen explained. Hiring experienced and mature hosts is even more challenging, with high human resource costs for enterprises.
In contrast, the advantages of "AI digital human hosts" are significant. Reporters found that the annual service prices for digital human host services on the market generally range from a few hundred to several thousand yuan, with the highest being no more than tens of thousands of yuan. Moreover, they can work tirelessly 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, without requiring social insurance or commissions.
However, Chen admitted that while "AI digital human hosts" can solve the problem of host manpower, they place higher demands on operations. "Without guidance in the comment section, it's difficult to achieve conversions solely relying on digital human hosts," he said.
Therefore, Chen believes that "AI digital human hosts" are not a panacea and should be viewed rationally. "They cannot completely replace humans but can only replace some 'novice' hosts," he said.
Digital Humans Bring New Business Opportunities
Recently, Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) released a "Platform Specification and Industry Initiative on AI-Generated Content," responding to widespread concerns about virtual human live-streaming, AI-assisted content generation, and traffic support for AI content, while imposing corresponding restrictions.
"The industry generally views this as the first 'passport' issued by a platform, implying that constraints also bring standardization. More platforms are expected to follow suit and express their positions," Chen said. He believes that "AI digital human hosts" will see faster adoption as a result.
To date, multiple internet giants have entered the market. In late February, Tencent launched its AI smart creation assistant, "Tencent Zhiying," which enables everyone to create digital humans. As early as last year's Baidu World Conference, the "Baidu APP Digital Human Plan" proposed achieving "one digital human per person." Furthermore, commerce departments in cities like Nanjing have initiated digital human-related entrepreneurship programs to help merchants develop online businesses.
Chen also shared the latest digital human host business on his social media, offering a special price of 2,980 yuan for a one-year subscription that includes 60 minutes of usage time, access to 20 shared digital human hosts, complimentary online learning courses, and one-on-one technical service support.
"While many concepts in the past have been short-lived, the industry is generally optimistic about 'AI digital human hosts' currently," Chen boldly predicted that digital humans may become a standard feature for companies in the future.