Virtual People Projects Rise in China as More Businesses Opt For Virtual Employees

Recent reports reveal that virtual people projects have been on the rise in China as more businesses opt for virtual employees.

The growth potential for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the country has continued to remain strong as tech company Baidu disclosed that it has worked on numerous virtual people projects in the country, which has seen it double since last year.

These virtual robots are generated by computers and are a combination of machine learning, sound tech, and animation, that create digitized human beings that can perform human-like activities.

In 2019, world-renowned Chinese pianist Lang Lang performed with virtual singer Luo Tianyi during a hologram concert at the Mercedes Benz Cultural Centre in Shanghai, China.

Also, in September 2022, a giant tech company in China Net Dragon, appointed an AI-powered virtual humanoid robot as CEO, claiming it will ensure a free, fair, and efficient workplace for all employees.

From entertainment to businesses, to customer service, there is widespread adoption of virtual humanoid robots in China. Some of these robots are used as influencers and also used in marketing campaigns.

These robots cost about 100,000 yuan ($14,300) a year for a three-dimensional virtual person, and 20,000 yuan for a two-dimensional one.

China’s virtual humanoid robot market was estimated to be worth nearly $16 billion in 2021. The size of its virtual human market is forecast to reach 270 billion yuan ($38.5 billion) by 2030.

Revenue generated by virtual humans designed to be unique, such as virtual celebrities, is expected to reach 175 billion yuan in China by 2030, while that from the service-oriented virtual humans is forecast to exceed 95 billion yuan.

According to statistics from Qichacha, a databank that tracks business registrations, it disclosed that China now has more than 280,000 enterprises engaged in businesses related to digital humans, with the compound annual growth rate of newly registered enterprises in the past five years reaching nearly 60 percent.