Tencent’s WeChat breaks ranks to ban digital influencers in live streaming

Chinese social media giant Tencent Holdings plans to ban digital hosts powered by artificial intelligence (AI) on its live-streaming commerce platforms, as Beijing tightens controls over AI-generated content.

Weixin Channel, WeChat’s video platform, has published a draft of new rules covering “low-quality content”, which noted that the use of “plug-ins, AI and other tools to generate avatars for live streaming” was not allowed.

“Teaching and selling virtual human software” will also be regarded as “confrontational behaviour” and prohibited, according to the draft.

The new draft rules come as authorities have cracked down on the use of AI technologies for creating virtual avatars. Internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), has requested that local providers of generative AI services must take measures to prevent the dissemination of discriminatory content and false information, according to CAC’s proposed regulation published last April.

Tencent said online hosts who violate the rules will have their live-streaming exposure reduced by the company’s algorithm, and more serious violators will have their e-commerce function limited.

Tencent’s motive for changing the rules was to “encourage more [live] anchors to have real-time interaction with viewers”, according to people familiar with the matter.

The draft rules are open for comments from June 7-13, and Tencent will review feedback from live streamers, according to the people.