China-related 2024 academic work on digital humans and closely adjacent virtual beings collectively frames the field as a coupled technical-and-social program in which advances in reconstruction and rendering, facial and full-body motion animation, and real-time interactive behavior are treated as enablers for scalable communication, commerce, and services, while parallel strands ask how these beings are perceived, governed, and evaluated in the wild. On the technical side, papers emphasize end-to-end pipelines that move from digital human modeling toward broader human–digital-twin thinking and human-factors perspectives, with attention to the practical demands of multimodal motion and embodiment resources that support realistic animation and cross-context deployment, including immersive XR/VR learning settings where avatar appearance and peer interaction shape educational outcomes. On the application side, the literature clusters around mediated communication and persuasion contexts, including live-streaming commerce with virtual anchors, virtual-influencer marketing and identity construction on Chinese platforms, science popularization and teaching (including public-risk topics), and cultural communication through exhibitions and heritage-oriented experiences, often motivated by efficiency, consistency, and audience reach. A further layer addresses public opinion dynamics and sentiment around digital humans on social media, sectoral reporting in areas such as digital medicine, and emerging governance questions spanning authenticity, rights, dispute resolution, and platform-mediated accountability, indicating a maturing agenda that treats technical fidelity and social legitimacy as inseparable constraints on adoption.
Angmo, P. & Mahajan, R. (2024). Virtual influencer marketing: a study of millennials and gen Z consumer behaviour. Qualitative Market Research: An International.
Chen, J., Pan, L., Zhou, R., & Jiang, Q. (2024). Shaping and optimizing the image of virtual city spokespersons based on factor analysis and entropy weight methodology: A cross-sectional study from China. Systems, 12(2), 44.
Chen, Y., & Li, X. (2024). Expectancy violations and discontinuance behavior in live-streaming commerce: exploring human interactions with virtual streamers. Behavioral Sciences, 14(10), 920.
Demeng, W., Shaoxian, Z., & Hongyu, Q. (2024). Exploration and Use of Large Model-driven Digital Humans for Popularizing Earthquake Science. CT Theory and Applications.
Han, J. (2024). Application Research and Scenario Analysis of Virtual Digital Humans in Science Popularization and Teaching. Knowledge Management Forum.
He, Q., Li, L., Li, D., Peng, T., Zhang, X., & Cai, Y. (2024). From digital human modeling to human digital twin: Framework and perspectives in human factors. Chinese Journal of.
Ji, M., Chen, X., Wei, S., Liu, Q., & Sun, J. (2024). Understanding the Role of Virtual Anchor-Brand Image Fit in Virtual Live Streaming.
Lee, R., Yanchi, L., & Park, J. (2024). Development of AI Digital Human Based the Emperor Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Warriors XR Contents. International XR Conference.
Leo-Liu, J., & Wu-Ouyang, B. (2024). A “soul” emerges when AI, AR, and Anime converge: A case study on users of the new anime-stylized hologram social robot “Hupo”. New Media & Society, 26(7), 3810-3832.
Li, C., & Huang, F. (2024). The impact of virtual streamer anthropomorphism on consumer purchase intention: Cognitive trust as a mediator. Behavioral Sciences, 14(12), 1228.
Li, Y., Lu, K., & Zhang, W. (2024). Research on the application of virtual anchors based on artificial intelligence technology in live streaming e-commerce. Journal of Electrical Systems, 20(3), 1232-1240.
Liao, X., Liao, Y., She, S., Zeng, Y., & Chen, Y. Ai-Driven Digital Humans: Like Humans But Not Human? A Systematic Review of Research on the Uncanny Valley. A Systematic Review of Research on the Uncanny Valley.
Liu, S. & Geng, Z. (2024). Ethnic Attire Exhibition System Utilizing Digital Human Technology. The World Conference on Intelligent and 3D.
Luo, L. & Kim, W. (2024). How virtual influencers' identities are shaped on Chinese social media: A case study of ling. Global Media and China.
Meng, M., Hou, X., Wang, Y., Liu, H., & Zhao, Y. (2024). PolyMotion-7K: A Multimodal-Driven Polyglot Avatar Motion Dataset. International Forum on.
Qiu, A. (2024). The Influence of Virtual Anchor Characteristics on Consumers' Purchase Intention in the Context of E-commerce Live Broadcasting. Proceedings of the International Conference on Digital.
Su, C., Luo, X., Liu, Z., Kang, J., Hao, M., Xiong, Z., ... & Huang, C. (2024, July). Privacy-preserving pseudonym schemes for personalized 3D avatars in mobile social metaverses. In 2024 6th International Conference on Electronics and Communication, Network and Computer Technology (ECNCT) (pp. 375-380). IEEE.
Tan, C., Lai, Y., & Wu, J. (2024). A Study on the Developmental Process and Application Mode of AI Digital Humans in Cartoon Style: A Case Study of an Offline Doll Machine Store in Shenzhen. International Conference on Human-Computer.
Tang, J. (2024). Broadcasting your virtual self: Exploring the authenticity construction and subjectivity of VTubers in China. Global Media and China.
Tian, M., Tao, S., Chunlin, T., & Furao, L. (2024). Practices and strategies for enhancing video-based dissemination of scientific journal articles through virtual digital human technology. Chinese Journal of Scientific.
Tu, L. (2024). A Virtual Future: ODR for Virtual Idol Copyright and Fan Disputes. Available at SSRN 5052767.
Wang, K., Kim, K., & Tang, J. (2024). Analyzing the design of virtual humans in Chinese museums: a case study of “Ai Wenwen”. 아시아태평양융합연구교류논문지, 10(3), 561-572.
Wang, Q., Li, B., Tan, C. W., Liu, X., Chen, R., Zhang, Y., ... & Wang, Z. (2024). Comparison of virtual idols and virtual streamers: From the perspective of design features.
Weng, W. (2024, December). How Anthropomorphic Features of Virtual Influencers Affect Generation Z Purchase Intentions Through Credibility. In 2024 4th International Conference on Social Development and Media Communication (SDMC 2024) (pp. 55-61). Atlantis Press.
Xiang, J. & Fu, S. (2024). Understanding public opinion and discussion dynamics of digital humans on social media: an analysis of sentiment, themes and user characteristics. Library Hi Tech.
Xie, L., Gu, D., Zhang, K., Tan, L., & Tang, L. (2024). A report of research on the digital human and digital medicine in China. Digital Medicine.
Yan, X., Mo, T., & Zhou, X. (2024). The influence of cultural differences between China and the West on moral responsibility judgments of virtual humans. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 56(2), 161.
Yao, L., Tugiman, N., & Sharipudin, M. N. S. (2024). Virtual human influencers in live streaming commerce on social media platforms: Exploring parasocial interactions with consumers in China.
Yin, L., & Kaixing, W. (2024). Research of Guochao Style in Chinese Virtual Idol Design. International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication, 16(3), 85-97.
Yuan, Q. & Gao, Q. (2024). Being there, and being together: Avatar appearance and peer interaction in VR classrooms for video-based learning. International Journal of Human–Computer.