Recently, on some short video platforms, you might come across such a "scaresome" scene from time to time: a camera sweeps across a room where dozens of computers are placed on the table, and the hosts on the screens are live-streaming the sale of goods in real-time, with the accompanying text reading: "Scary, the 200-square-meter live-streaming base is deserted, all with AI digital hosts live-streaming." However, when the camera focuses on the computer screens and takes a closer look, these hosts appear as lifelike as real people.
Since ChatGPT came into being, it has once again attracted people's attention and heated debate on artificial intelligence, and many industries have accelerated the attempt of "intellectualization". In the field of live streaming and goods promotion, this kind of "AI digital human host" has appeared. Journalists have noted that in some companies in Jinan, AI digital human hosts have begun to replace real people and appear in live broadcast rooms.
This time, AI has "stolen" whose job again? Some enterprises in Jinan are replacing real people with "AI digital human hosts" in live broadcasts.
Virtual hosts batch on duty
"The digital human live broadcast was tested for 3 days, very stable, and there were no 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 more than a decade. When the "AI digital human host" appeared, he quickly captured this new trend.
Chen Lei introduced that the digital human is not a new term, and the previous Luo Tianyi and Liu Yuxi are all virtual idols that were once very popular, but there is a difference between them and the current popular digital human hosts.
AI digital humans, also known as "2D hyper-realistic digital humans," are more human-like in appearance, and it's easy to mistake them for real people if one does not look closely. "With AI technology, a virtual digital human can be generated, or a real person can be 'cloned'," Chen Lei warned. "Compared to the former, the latter involves risks such as infringement of portrait rights."
A few days ago, Chen Lei officially introduced the "AI digital human host" into the live broadcast room, "various water parks will soon become consumption hotspots, we have hung a group purchase link in the live broadcast room, and then used the 'AI digital human host' to automatically explain."
Chen Lei also pointed out that the current "AI digital human host" can achieve very limited functions, which is more like a "pre-recorded" in form, and the most straightforward way of saying it is a "替代 mouth" for the real host, "The effect of a single digital human is limited, and many companies now have many digital human hosts online at the same time."
24 hours a day, live broadcast without interruption.
In Chen Lei's view, the reason for choosing "AI digital human host" is very simple, it's cheap.
Over the years, live-streaming hosts have become a standard position for many companies. Journalists from some recruitment platforms saw that in Jinan, the monthly salary for a host ranges from a few thousand to several tens of thousands. "This is just the base salary, and usually there is a commission," Chen Lei said. If you want to recruit an experienced and mature host, it is even more difficult, "The cost of labor for enterprises is very high," he said.
Compared to this, the advantages of the "AI digital human host" are particularly obvious. Journalists searched and found that at present, the annual service price of the digital human host business in the market is generally several thousand yuan, and the highest is not more than several tens of thousands of yuan, and even some are as low as several hundred yuan. Moreover, it is mainly a "hardworking" one, which can sell goods 365 days a year, 7x24 hours without interruption, and does not need to pay for the "five insurance and one fund".
However, Chen Lei also admitted that after testing, the "AI digital human host" can indeed solve the problem of human hosts, but it poses higher requirements for operation, "Without someone to guide in the comment section, it's actually difficult to achieve conversion just with the digital human host."
So Chen Lei believes that "AI digital human host" is not omnipotent, and we should look at it rationally at present, "It can't completely replace people, it can only replace some 'novice' hosts."
Digital humans bring new business opportunities
Recently, the TikTok platform released the "Platform Standards and Industry Initiatives on Artificial Intelligence Generated Content", responding to issues of widespread public concern, such as live streaming by virtual humans, AI-assisted content generation, and whether traffic supports AI content, and imposed corresponding constraints.
"The industry widely believes that this is considered the first pass issued by the platform, and the constraints also imply norms, and more platforms will follow and express their attitudes," Chen Lei said, "AI digital human host" may see faster popularization.
So far, several major internet companies have entered the market. At the end of February this year, Tencent released the AI intelligent creation assistant "Tencent Smart Film", focusing on the fact that everyone can create a digital human; and as early as last year's Baidu World Conference, the "Baidu APP Digital Human Plan" proposed to achieve "one digital human per person". More importantly, the commercial departments of Nanjing and other places have launched entrepreneurial plans related to digital humans, helping businesses to develop online.
Chen Lei also shared the latest digital host business in his circle of friends, with a welfare price of 2,980 yuan, you can get one year of use right for 60 minutes of time and 20 shared digital hosts, and also get online learning courses and 1-on-1 technical service support.
"Many concepts used to be a passing trend, but now there is a general optimism in the industry about 'AI digital human hosts,'" Chen Lei said. He also boldly predicted that digital humans might become a standard configuration for companies in the future.