Recently, short video platforms have been showcasing an eerie sight: cameras pan across rooms with dozens of computers, each screen displaying live-streaming hosts selling products in real time. The caption boldly states, “So scary—200-square-meter live-streaming base with not a single human in sight, entirely run by AI digital humans.” Yet, a closer look reveals these hosts are strikingly lifelike.
Since the emergence of ChatGPT, interest in AI has surged again, accelerating “smart” adoption across industries—including live-streaming commerce, where “AI digital hosts” are now appearing. In Jinan, some companies have already introduced them into their live-streaming rooms.
Virtual Hosts Go to Work in Bulk
“We tested digital human streaming for three days—stable, no system issues or platform violations,” said Chen Lei, general manager of MaiMang New Media, who has worked in self-media for over a decade and quickly spotted this trend.
Chen noted that digital humans are not new—virtual idols like Luo Tianyi and Liu Yexi have been popular—but current AI hosts differ. Called “2D hyper-realistic digital humans,” they closely resemble ordinary people and can easily be mistaken for real ones. “Using AI, you can generate a virtual human or ‘clone’ a real person,” Chen cautioned, “though the latter carries risks like portrait rights infringement.”
Days ago, Chen introduced AI hosts into live streams. “Water parks will soon be in high demand, so we’ve added group-buying links and use AI hosts for automated commentary.” He added that current AI host capabilities are limited—essentially “pre-recorded” or serving as a real host’s “voice proxy.” “A single digital human has limited impact; many companies now use multiple AI hosts streaming simultaneously.”
24/7 Non‑Stop Live Streaming
For Chen, the choice is simple: AI hosts are cheap.
Live-stream hosts have become a standard role in many companies. Job platforms in Jinan show monthly salaries ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands yuan. “That’s just the base pay; there are usually commissions too,” Chen explained. Hiring experienced hosts is even harder, driving high labor costs.
In contrast, AI hosts are far more affordable. Annual service fees generally range from a few hundred to several thousand yuan, rarely exceeding tens of thousands. They “work without complaints”—streaming 24/7, 365 days a year, with no social insurance, pensions, or commissions.
However, Chen admitted that while AI hosts solve labor shortages, they place higher demands on operations. “Without someone guiding comments, AI hosts alone struggle to drive conversions.” He believes AI hosts are not a cure-all and should be viewed rationally: “They can’t fully replace humans—only some novice hosts.”
New Business Opportunities from Digital Humans
Recently, Douyin released “Platform Guidelines and Industry Initiatives on AI‑Generated Content,” addressing public concerns about virtual human streaming, AI‑assisted content, and traffic support for AI content, while imposing corresponding constraints.
“The industry widely sees this as the platform’s first green light. Constraints imply standardization, and more platforms will likely follow,” Chen said, predicting faster adoption of AI hosts.
So far, many tech giants have entered the field. In late February, Tencent launched “Tencent Zhiying,” an AI creative assistant enabling everyone to create digital humans. Earlier, at last year’s Baidu World Conference, the “Baidu App Digital Human Plan” proposed “a digital human for everyone.” Even local commerce departments in cities like Nanjing have launched digital human initiatives to help businesses go online.
Chen shared his latest AI host service on social media: a special offer of 2,980 yuan for 60 minutes of content, annual access to 20 shared digital hosts, online courses, and one‑on‑one technical support.
“Many past trends were fleeting, but the industry is generally optimistic about AI hosts,” Chen said, boldly predicting that digital humans could become a standard fixture for companies in the future.