In November 2023, Tianjin’s documented, commercially oriented work on embodied digital humans included the local launch of the XiaoXing AI Digital Intelligence System, which was presented as enabling custom digital avatars for live broadcasting and e-commerce. The system’s positioning in that month tied digital-human style avatars directly to customer acquisition and sales workflows, rather than limiting them to entertainment-only character creation.
In April 2024, Tianjin’s activity became more publicly demonstrative across university and enterpriseadjacent settings, with digital humans presented as interactive, humanlike interfaces. At Tianjin University’s Peiyangyuan Campus, AI digital humans were used in a technology event to demonstrate teaching-style interactions as well as casual conversation, with fluent speech and realistic expressions emphasised as part of the experience. In the same month, Tianjin University introduced an “end-to-end, comprehensive AI teaching assistant” that included a virtual professor modelled after Professor Liu Yanli for engineering courses, indicating a production approach in which a named or identifiable human figure could be replicated as a reusable teaching presence. Also in April 2024, Tianjin 360 Science and Innovation Park presented an AI digital persona called “Digital Lao Zhou”, modelled after Zhou Hongyi, and described it as demonstrating personalised communication capabilities in an innovation-park context.
In May 2024, Tianjin’s development pathway combined conceptual marketing research with production infrastructure relevant to high-fidelity digital humans and synthetic characters. Tianjin University of Technology published research analysing the marketing effects and mechanisms of virtual influencers in AI technology, reflecting local attention to how synthetic personas influence audiences and how those effects can be explained and measured. In the same month, the National Animation Park (国家动漫园) in Tianjin’s Binhai New Area demonstrated digital-twin technology in a motion-capture studio environment for film animation and cultural preservation, reinforcing that Tianjin-based institutions were showcasing capture and production methods that underpin realistic motion and presentation for digital humans.
Tianjin’s National Animation Park (国家动漫园), located in the Binhai New Area and closely associated with the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City cluster, functions as an animation and digital-culture industrial park whose production infrastructure aligns directly with digital-human pipelines, particularly through its public technical service platform that provides studio-grade motion-capture capacity used to capture human performance for realistic virtual characters and digital-twin style “action replication” workflows in animation, games, and screen production. It has also pursued platformization of AI-enabled content creation by partnering with Beijing Hongmian Xiaoice Technology (北京红棉小冰科技有限公司) to establish a “digital culture new-technology laboratory” and an AI public-service platform intended to support creators and resident firms with end-to-end AI content production capabilities, which in practice includes toolchains relevant to building, animating, and operationalizing digital humans as media assets and interactive representations. In 2025–2026 reporting, the park is described as extending this ecosystem through dedicated spaces for cultural-tech experimentation and company growth, including a metaverse innovation practice center positioned around content partners, immersive/AI tools, and scenario-based co-creation, and a roughly 4,500 m² incubation/acceleration space developed with TusStar (启迪之星) that explicitly targets high-growth firms and references capabilities such as intelligent animation generation and digital humans, framing the park not only as a capture-and-production base but as a commercialization and scaling environment for digital-human-centered products and services.
In January 2025, Tianjin’s digital human ecosystem was described through a mix of platform-building, cultural-tourism solutions, and public-service deployments. Baidu (百度) established its Digital Industry Innovation Base in Tianjin’s Tiankai Jinnan Park, operated by Baidu Intelligent Cloud (Tianjin) Technology Co., Ltd., and described the site as combining a Data Annotation Center at Hualu Future Tech Park with a Qianfan Large Model Empowerment Center at Tiankai Smart Town’s Kaiwu Garden that provided developers with the Qianfan platform (千帆大模型平台), free AI tools, and industry-oriented model applications. The base was framed as serving more than 2,000 innovation-driven enterprises, including companies developing AI digital human interactive systems, which placed digital humans within a broader local chain of data production, model access, and application development. In the same month, Tianjin Hengda Cultural Museum Technology Co., Ltd. (天津恒达文博科技股份有限公司) was included in a national smart tourism solutions list for immersive metaverse and digital human offerings, aligning its Tianjin-linked role with museum technology and cultural-tourism deployments that use interactive AR/VR exhibition guidance and digital human tour systems such as virtual dinosaur guides designed for “time-space dialogue” experiences. January 2025 also documented public-service uses in Tianjin that treated digital humans as communication and wellbeing interfaces, including digital-human broadcasting for tax-related information dissemination by the Tianjin tax authorities and the use of an intelligent companion system with multiple digital humans by an elderly resident in Nankai District for social interaction.
Tianjin Hengda Wenbo Science and Technology Co., Ltd. (天津恒达文博科技股份有限公司) is a Tianjin-based technology company serving the cultural heritage and cultural tourism sectors, positioning itself as a national high-tech enterprise and a national “specialized and sophisticated ‘Little Giant’” firm focused on delivering end-to-end digital, information, and smart solutions for museums and cultural tourism organizations, including systems and services such as digital cultural-relics protection and utilization and smart museum construction; it is headquartered in Tianjin’s Huayuan Industrial Area and is commonly associated with legal representative Han Guomin (韩国民), with public profiles describing its formal establishment date as August 18, 2006 while also noting earlier origins (as a predecessor entity) dating back to 1999, and the company’s own site presents it as a full-process solution provider for the wenbo/wenlv industry. The wenbo/wenlv industry is a Chinese policy and market term that combines two related sectors: wenbo (文博), meaning cultural heritage and museum-related industries, and wenlv (文旅), short for cultural tourism (文化旅游). The company’s official website domain is hengdawb.com.
In February 2025, digital-human development in Tianjin was further linked to skills formation and curriculum, with digital humans presented as an applied design domain rather than only a showcase artifact. Tianjin University of Finance and Economics introduced new courses that incorporated DeepSeek for intelligent learning and explicitly connected the toolchain to digital human design, indicating that digital-human creation and operation were being incorporated into formal teaching and learning content. The month-level signal was that Tianjin’s higher-education institutions were treating digital human design as part of practical AI competencies relevant to deployment contexts described elsewhere in the city.
In March 2025, Tianjin sources described both institutional creation of digital humans and risks associated with synthetic-person media. Tianjin University of Finance and Economics reported deeper integration of AI technology with education and the launch of a first batch of digital humans, indicating that educational deployments were extending from curricula into produced virtual beings. Tianjin Renai College also reported digital-human technology progress associated with Wang Yifu, including highfidelity digital human images, emphasising realism and image quality as a development priority. In the same month, reports emerged of fraudulent product endorsements linked to fake AI-generated videos featuring Academician Zhang Boli of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, showing that synthetic-person media could be used to impersonate trusted Tianjin-linked figures and that verification and governance were becoming part of the local digital-human environment.
In April 2025, Tianjin combined public-facing demonstrations, organisational deployments, and citylevel policy framing that explicitly referenced AI’s growth targets and application direction. Tianjin University’s 130th anniversary celebration featured AI digital-human interactions among other technology experiences, reinforcing the visibility of embodied digital humans in major university events. Tianjin also released an action plan for AI innovation development that targeted more than 100 billion yuan in revenue from core AI enterprises by 2027, setting an explicit growth framework under which digital-human applications could be pursued as scalable products and services. In organisational training, Resource Development Group introduced AI digital-human technology into safety production training models, treating digital humans as training and simulation interfaces. In student services, Tianjin Normal University’s digital counsellor was presented as a 24/7 support mechanism for students, matching the digital-human form factor to high-frequency service functions.
In May 2025, Tianjin’s digital-human deployments were described in student support, financial-sector engagement, and public-safety education contexts. Tianjin Normal University launched an AI counsellor and a digital counsellor identified as the “Answer Person” teacher, framing an embodied digital support role as part of student service delivery. The Tianjin Internet Finance Association (天津互联网金融协会) hosted an event focused on AI-driven financial intelligence transformation that featured AI digital-human interactions, placing digital humans within finance-sector engagement and demonstration activities in Tianjin. In public-safety communication, the Tianjin Banqiao Compulsory Isolation Drug Rehabilitation Center held a media open day that included an AI digital human called “Officer Xiao Qiao” alongside traditional anti-drug education, using a named digital figure as part of outreach and awareness work.
In June 2025, Tianjin’s digital-human development was described through policy emphasis on education applications and through Tianjin-based companies selling digital-human production and livestream services as commercial offerings. Tianjin promoted its AI innovation development action that explicitly supported digital human teaching assistant systems, formalising “digital human” as an application category within education-oriented AI work in the city. Tianjin University of Finance and Economics launched the “AI Digital Human Navigator Professional Exploration Plan” as part of its admissions-season communications, treating a digital human as a structured outward-facing interface connected to recruitment and programme explanation. In the same month, Tianjin Hongteng Digital Technology Co., Ltd. launched digital human live-streaming and AI voice services and described deep-synthesis capabilities that generate digital human video content from user-provided audio and video inputs, positioning this as an interactive media solution for sectors such as e-commerce and broadcasting. Tianjin Hongmeng Ecological Technology Co., Ltd. (天津鸿蒙生态科技有限公司) was described as providing digital-human video production and livestream-related services and as operating the Huawei Tianjin Developer Innovation Center (华为天津开发者创新中心) while serving as a Huawei Cloud general agent, linking Huawei-aligned infrastructure and distribution capabilities to Tianjin-based delivery for enterprise marketing, cultural events, education, and corporate communications.
In July 2025, Tianjin’s digital-human activity expanded into medical-domain modelling and professionalservices transformation while also recording institution-building related to digital-human applications. Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine released the “Tianhe Lingshu” large model together with three-dimensional acupuncture digital humans, coupling a specialised model with embodied representations for traditional-medicine contexts. In the same month, Jintian City Law Firm (锦天城律师事务所) launched digital humans named “Jintian” and “Jinli”, describing this as part of the firm’s digital transformation and indicating that digital humans were being adopted as brand and service-facing interfaces in legal services.
In August 2025, Tianjin’s activity foregrounded deployments in public venues and the conversion of digital-human plans into formal procurement practices. Tianjin TEDA Library introduced an AI intelligent experience space that included virtual digital humans and related equipment, aligning digital humans with public-facing reading and learning experiences. Bank of Tianjin (天津银行) issued a tender for a new intelligent digital-human platform intended to build a bankwide virtual digital-human persona that could be reused across intelligent customer service, business processing, and video production, with the tender scope specifying “humanlike interaction”, intelligent service, and more centralised operations as mechanisms to improve customer experience and efficiency. In the same month, China Mobile Tianjin Company (中国移动天津公司) deployed a virtual digital human called “Xiaohai” for anti-drug宣传 use within the Binhai compulsory isolation drugrehabilitation context, describing the digital human as combining natural-language processing, an antidrug knowledge base, and dynamic digital-human interaction and noting that it had been put into use in the facility.
In September 2025, Bank of Tianjin advanced its digital-human platform initiative from tendering to contracting by selecting a specific supplier and implementation timetable. The bank announced iFLYTEK (科大讯飞) as the winning bidder for the “new intelligent digital-human platform” project, with a contract value of 786,000 yuan and a delivery schedule that required software delivery shortly after notification and an “online-ready” condition within a six-month implementation window. This month therefore placed a major Tianjin-based retail bank in a direct buyer–supplier relationship for an enterprise-wide virtual digital-human capability rather than a limited pilot.
In October 2025, Tianjin’s port-sector digital-human work was referenced as an operational case in broader industry narratives about large-model deployment, with the digital-human layer described as part of industrial workflow. Cloudwalk Technology (云从科技) was associated with reporting that cited the deployment of PortGPT at Tianjin Port as an example of a port large model used for logistics-path optimisation and improved cargo scheduling efficiency. Within that case, the digital-human assistant “Tiantian” was described as simplifying the port’s shift-handover meeting process, showing a Tianjin deployment in which a digital human acted as a practical interface within port operations rather than as a standalone media character. In the attached research, PortGPT was described as a Tianjin-linked collaboration involving Tianjin Port Group (天津港集团), Huawei (华为), and the National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin (国家超级计算天津中心), and it was described as supporting multiple port-business application categories while using the digital-human layer for Q&A, presentations, and real-time operational queries.
In December 2025, Tianjin’s governance and industrial narratives described named AI assistants and large-model deployments as tools embedded in district and city operations, including scenarios later framed as digital-human deployments. In Heping District, the district data authorities delivered an “AI empowering community governance” training session to frontline community workers and described how an earlier AI assistant used for Haitang Flower Festival tourism guidance led to the rollout of an AI social-work assistant and a “Shuzhi Heping” mini programme for day-to-day community work. That account described real-time data upload and cross-department sharing as part of the operational model, and it described the assistant as supporting task follow-up and work suggestions across common community workflows. In the same month, Tianjin’s municipal data authorities described PortGPT as a representative “computing-power enabled” industrial scenario at Tianjin Port, aligning the port model with a citywide narrative about digital economy infrastructure and operational improvement.
In January 2026, Tianjin’s telecommunications and financial sectors documented additional, city-specific digital-human deployments and contracts that specified how digital humans would be embedded into public-facing service channels. A Tianjin government platform described Tianjin Mobile producing scene-specific “digital intelligent persons” and presented an AI digital human called “He Xiaotang” in the Wudadao cultural tourism area as an interactive presence able to answer tourist questions about cultural history, food recommendations, and travel planning. The same account listed multiple locally branded digital humans created for specific Tianjin contexts, including community-service and event uses, presenting this as a repeatable production-and-deployment capability rather than a single character initiative. In the financial domain, Bank of Tianjin awarded the implementation of an online customer-service upgrade that added a digital human interface and an “intelligent Siri” function to Beijing Zhongke Jincai Technology Co., Ltd. (北京中科金财科技股份有限公司), reflecting procurement-backed movement from planning into contracted delivery for a bank channel that would embed a digital human into service interactions.
In February 2026, Tianjin’s development path continued to be defined by integration work and procurement scheduling, with digital humans operating as service interfaces rather than as isolated showcases. During the month, Bank of Tianjin’s ongoing online customer service digital-human work progressed through its scheduled bid-submission and opening stage for implementation activity tied to that channel upgrade. Across the period from the earliest recorded commercial avatar launch in late 2023 through these early-2026 integrations, Tianjin’s digital-human development was repeatedly documented in operational contexts that included education delivery and admissions, professional training, cultural institutions, public safety communication, port operations, district-level community governance, telecommunications-led civic deployments, and banking service channels.
[Feb 2026]
2025
August 8, 2025: Tianjin TEDA Library introduces AI intelligent experience space with virtual digital humans and other equipment to provide readers with cutting-edge digital reading experiences.
August 7, 2025: Tianjin Bank’s intelligent digital human platform project tender announced by Tianjin Hengtai Engineering Management Consulting Co., Ltd.
August 6, 2025: Tianjin Hengzhong Engineering Management Consulting Co., Ltd. announces Tianjin Bank’s AI intelligent product atlas project tender worth 1.59 million yuan, with Tianyang Hongye winning the bid.
July 31, 2025: Jintian City Law Firm’s digital humans “Jintian” and “Jinli” are launched, marking the firm’s entry into digital transformation.
July 17, 2025: Digital human application innovation center strategic cooperation signing takes place in Tianjin.
July 8, 2025: Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine releases the “Tianhe Lingshu” large model and three-dimensional acupuncture digital humans.
June 27, 2025: Tianjin Hongmeng Ecological Technology Co., Ltd. provides digital human video production services.
June 25, 2025: Tianjin Hongteng Digital Technology Co., Ltd. launches digital human live streaming and AI voice services.
June 21, 2025: Tianjin University of Finance and Economics launches “AI Digital Human Navigator Professional Exploration Plan” for undergraduate admissions season.
June 18, 2025: Luo Yonghao’s digital human achieves breakthrough performance on Baidu e-commerce platform, with GMV exceeding 55 million yuan during live streaming.
June 16, 2025: Xiong’an Xingyuan Technology Co., Ltd.’s self-developed Xingyuan AI digital human debuts at the 2025 China Langfang International Economic and Trade Fair.
June 9, 2025: Tianjin promotes the action plan for artificial intelligence innovation development, supporting digital human teaching assistant systems.
May 26, 2025: Tianjin Banqiao Compulsory Isolation Drug Rehabilitation Center holds media open day featuring AI digital human “Officer Xiao Qiao” alongside traditional anti-drug education.
May 21, 2025: Digital human “Xiaoying” serves as tour guide at the Harbin Fair, though this appears to be in Heilongjiang, not Tianjin.
May 9, 2025: Tianjin Internet Finance Association hosts “AI Engine Drives Financial Intelligence Transformation” event featuring AI digital human interactions.
May 7, 2025: Tianjin Normal University launches AI counselor and digital counselor “Answer Person” teacher for student services.
April 30, 2025: Tianjin Normal University’s digital counselor becomes a service expert for college students, providing 24/7 student support.
April 17, 2025: Resource Development Group introduces AI digital human technology for innovative safety production training models.
April 16, 2025: Tianjin releases action plan to promote AI innovation development, targeting over 100 billion yuan in revenue from core AI enterprises by 2027.
April 6, 2025: Tianjin University’s 130th anniversary celebration features AI digital human interactions and other technological experiences.
March 28, 2025: Tianjin University of Finance and Economics promotes deep integration of AI technology with education, launching first batch of digital humans.
March 24, 2025: Chongqing launches first “DeepSeek live streaming digital human,” developed under guidance of Chongqing Technology Transfer Research Institute.
March 16, 2025: Reports emerge of fake AI-generated videos featuring Academician Zhang Boli from Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine being used for fraudulent product endorsements.
March 14, 2025: Tianjin Renai College’s Wang Yifu leads digital human technology breakthroughs, including high-fidelity digital human images.
February 27, 2025: Hubei Province launches medical insurance AI digital human “Yibaoer” in collaboration with Alipay.
February 25, 2025: Tianjin University of Finance and Economics launches new courses featuring DeepSeek for intelligent learning and digital human design.
February 11, 2025: Multiple Tianjin AI and digital technology companies are recorded in industry databases.
January 26, 2025: Tianjin Nankai District’s elderly resident Cui Jinhai uses intelligent companion system with 6 digital humans for social interaction.
January 25, 2025: Tianjin Tax Bureau launches digital human broadcasting services for tax-related information dissemination.
January 17, 2025: Baidu Digital Industry Innovation Base settles in Tianjin Tiankai Jinnan Park, with over 2,000 innovative enterprises registered, including AI digital human interactive system developers.
January 9, 2025: National smart tourism solutions list includes Tianjin Hengda Cultural Museum Technology Co., Ltd.’s immersive metaverse and digital human solutions.
2024
May 18, 2024: Tianjin University of Technology – Research paper published on marketing effects and mechanisms of virtual influencers in AI technology.
May 3, 2024: National Animation Park, Tianjin Binhai New Area – Digital twin technology demonstrated in motion capture studio for enhancing film animation and cultural preservation.
April 22, 2024: Tianjin 360 Science and Innovation Park – AI digital persona “Digital Lao Zhou,” modeled after Zhou Hongyi (founder of 360 Group), demonstrated personalized communication capabilities.
April 7, 2024: Tianjin University Peiyangyuan Campus – AI digital humans engaged visitors at a tech event, demonstrating teaching capabilities and casual conversation with fluent speech and realistic expressions.
April 5, 2024: Tianjin University – Introduced an “end-to-end, comprehensive AI teaching assistant” and virtual professor modeled after Professor Liu Yanli for engineering courses.
2023
November 1, 2023: Tianjin (location) – XiaoXing AI Digital Intelligence System officially launched, revolutionizing live broadcasting and e-commerce with custom digital avatars.