China's 38.8M Livestreamers Face AI Avatars Costing Just $110 a Month

创业邦 · wechat · 2026-10-17

A report from New Weekly (reposted by Cyzone) examines how AI digital humans are reshaping China's livestream e-commerce workforce.

Two faces of the industry

China has 38.8 million professional livestreamers, yet nearly half quit within a year; mid-tier hosts in Hangzhou now earn under RMB 20,000/month, with some verticals falling from RMB 25,000–50,000 to RMB 15,000–20,000.
Meanwhile livestream e-commerce GMV topped RMB 5 trillion, with 660 million users and 256.96 million related enterprises.

Cost edge vs. trust gap

Digital-human software costs RMB 800–4,000/month; an AI livestream room runs on a few thousand RMB monthly. JD data puts digital-human cost at 10% of a real host.
Brands hand the overnight slot to AI, pushing some hosts out of prime time.
Viewers struggle to trust avatars enough to buy; virtual versions of celebrities like Luo Yonghao triggered an "uncanny" effect that lowered perceived credibility.

Regulation

In December 2025 the Beijing Consumers Association and 8 platforms including JD, Douyin and Kuaishou signed a pledge on AI application standards; rules effective February 2026 require livestreams to disclose AI-generated hosts.

New division of labor

The emerging setup is "one host + an AI middle platform + 2–3 operators," with AI handling product screening, pacing cues and data alerts while hosts focus on emotional connection and persona IP.
Digital humans already exceed 60% penetration in standardized categories like 3C and household goods, but categories needing emotional trust still rely on humans.
Case: skincare host Yiting has under 100k followers but over 60% repurchase rate, built on ingredient breakdowns and honest product experience.
New roles are emerging: AI trainers, digital-human operators and agent tuners; one host moved to an MCN to train avatar scripts.

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