If you know us, you know that we’ve been talking about virtual humans (and more specifically, virtual influencers) for a long time now. Our particular example was always Miquela Sousa, a virtual influencer created by the LA-based design agency Brud. Our particular fascination with Miquela and her brothers and sisters centers around the fact that she never ages, never gets sick, never has a bad hair day, travels anywhere, and works 24/7 without a break. Since we talked about her in 2017, she was joined by an ever-expanding family of virtual humans. Now China is closing in on them:
The Cyberspace Administration of China’s proposed rules would require prominent “digital human” labels on all virtual human content and prohibit digital humans from providing “virtual intimate relationships” to those under 18, according to rules published for public comment until May 6.
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“The governance of digital virtual humans is no longer merely an issue of industry norms; rather, it has become a strategic scientific problem that concerns the security of the cyberspace, public interests, and the high-quality development of the digital economy,” it added.
