I. Introduction to Digital Humans
A. Definition and technological components
B. Current market status and growth projections
II. Development of Digital Humans in China
A. Industry scale and growth
B. Standardization efforts C. Future prospects
III. Technical Foundations of Digital Humans
A. Four core components (form, voice, motion, mind)
B. AI and large language models as driving forces
C. Multimodal capabilities
IV. Application Areas of Digital Humans
A. Overview of application domains
B. Three categories of digital humans
C. Gradual evolution of applications
V. China's Digital Human Industry
A. Industry ecosystem
B. Production capabilities
C. Infrastructure and computing power
D. AI model development
VI. Future Trends and Recommendations
A. Recognition of digital humans' overall value
B. Guidance for industry development
C. Promotion of collaborative innovation
VII. Case Studies
A. Various applications across different sectors
B. Innovative projects and implementations
VIII. Appendices
A. Digital human application scenarios
B. Digital human industry ecosystem map
C. Specific company case studies (e.g., Lenovo, Baidu, Kuaishou)
IX. Detailed Case Study: Youchain (ustyle.cn)
A. Company background and technology
B. 3D Cloud Array Camera system
C. Applications and achievements
D. Future vision and contact information
[I. Introduction to Digital Humans] The introduction defines digital humans as digital intelligent entities created through various technologies, possessing human-like appearance, voice, body movements, and cognitive functions. These entities are realized through digital modeling techniques, incorporating computer graphics, motion capture, rendering, speech synthesis, and deep learning. The report highlights the growing importance of digital humans as an active application interface for artificial intelligence, with strong connections to big data, intelligent terminals, and embodied intelligence. It projects that digital humans could become a prominent interactive interface for the next generation of internet. The current market status is significant, with over 1.144 million digital human-related enterprises in China. From January to May of the current year, more than 174,000 new digital human-related businesses were registered. The industry is particularly concentrated in culture, sports, entertainment, information transmission, software, and information technology services, which collectively account for over 60% of the sector. Looking ahead, the report forecasts that by 2025, the core market size for digital humans in China could exceed 40 billion yuan.
[II. Development of Digital Humans in China] The development of digital humans in China is characterized by rapid industry growth, increasing standardization efforts, and promising future prospects. The industry has formed a relatively complete ecosystem, with over 1.144 million related enterprises and significant growth in new registrations. Standardization is a key focus, with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology pushing for the establishment of comprehensive standards covering terminology, management, services, and key technologies. This includes efforts to develop industry standards for virtual digital human classification, grading, and platform construction requirements. The government is also encouraging pilot programs in high-value sectors such as finance and industry. Experts note that the digital human industry in China has reached a stage where it can potentially drive cyclic development, especially in areas with large-scale demand and replicable applications. The future prospects are seen as promising, with expectations of continued growth and integration into various sectors of the economy, supported by government initiatives and industry collaboration.
[III. Technical Foundations of Digital Humans] The technical foundations of digital humans are built upon four core components: form, voice, motion, and mind. The form component involves creating realistic visual representations, evolving from manual 3D modeling to more efficient parametric synthesis methods. Voice synthesis has progressed from basic text-to-speech to more natural and expressive audio generation. Motion capabilities have advanced from keyframe animation to AI-driven, context-aware movements. The 'mind' component, powered by large language models like GPT, acts as a central nervous system, enabling more human-like interactions and decision-making. Artificial intelligence, particularly large language models, serves as the driving force behind these advancements, allowing for more sophisticated and natural interactions. The integration of these components results in multimodal capabilities, where digital humans can understand and respond to various input types (text, voice, images) and express themselves through multiple channels simultaneously, creating more lifelike and versatile digital entities.
[IV. Application Areas of Digital Humans] The application areas of digital humans are diverse and expanding rapidly. The report outlines numerous domains where digital humans are being deployed, including news broadcasting, entertainment, customer service, education, healthcare, legal assistance, and government services. These applications are generally categorized into three main types: media-oriented digital humans (for information dissemination and entertainment), service-oriented digital humans (for customer interaction and assistance), and industry-specific digital humans (tailored for particular sectors like finance or manufacturing). The evolution of these applications follows a gradual pattern, similar to the development of internet innovations. Initially, digital humans are being used for basic tasks and interactions, but as technology advances, they are becoming more sophisticated and capable of handling complex roles across various industries. This gradual evolution is driven by improvements in AI, user acceptance, and the integration of digital humans into existing systems and processes. The report suggests that these three categories of applications are now entering a phase of overlapping development, where advancements in one area are influencing and accelerating progress in others.
[V. China's Digital Human Industry] China's digital human industry is characterized by a rapidly developing ecosystem, growing production capabilities, robust infrastructure, and significant advancements in AI model development. The industry ecosystem encompasses a wide range of companies specializing in various aspects of digital human technology, from core AI development to application-specific solutions. Production capabilities have evolved to enable more efficient and scalable creation of digital humans, with some platforms offering customizable solutions. The country has invested heavily in infrastructure and computing power to support the development and deployment of digital humans, including the establishment of AI computing centers and the expansion of cloud computing resources. In terms of AI model development, China has seen a proliferation of large language models, with over 100 models released, including both general-purpose and domain-specific models. This "race of hundred models" has led to rapid improvements in AI capabilities, directly benefiting the digital human industry. The report highlights that this comprehensive development across the ecosystem, production, infrastructure, and AI domains positions China as a significant player in the global digital human industry.
[VI. Future Trends and Recommendations] The report outlines key future trends and recommendations for the digital human industry in China. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing the overall value of digital humans across various sectors, including their potential to transform user interactions and business processes. For industry development, the report recommends focusing on high-value applications and avoiding scattered, low-quality implementations. It suggests prioritizing sectors where digital humans can have the most significant impact and fostering the development of more sophisticated, industry-specific digital humans. The promotion of collaborative innovation is highlighted as crucial, with recommendations to establish cross-industry partnerships, develop shared standards, and create innovation centers. The report advocates for a coordinated approach involving government guidance, industry collaboration, and academic research to drive the industry forward. It also stresses the need for ongoing refinement of regulations and ethical guidelines to ensure responsible development and deployment of digital human technologies. Overall, the recommendations aim to steer the industry towards sustainable growth, higher quality applications, and increased integration into China's digital economy.
[VII. Case Studies] The report provides a series of case studies showcasing various applications and innovative projects involving digital humans across different sectors in China. These examples demonstrate the versatility and potential impact of digital human technology. Some notable cases include the use of digital humans in news broadcasting, educational platforms, customer service for financial institutions, and virtual tour guides for cultural sites. Innovative implementations are highlighted, such as the digital torch bearer "Tidal Child" at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games closing ceremony, which combined cultural elements with advanced digital human technology. The case studies also cover projects in community services, where digital humans assist with local administrative tasks and provide information to residents. Additionally, the report mentions initiatives by major media organizations, like CCTV's Digital Human Innovation Factory, which aims to create new digital economy engines. These case studies collectively illustrate the broad range of applications and the innovative ways Chinese organizations are integrating digital humans into various aspects of society and industry.
[VIII. Appendices] The appendices of the report provide additional detailed information to support the main content. They include a comprehensive map of digital human application scenarios, showcasing the wide range of potential uses across different industries and contexts. The digital human industry ecosystem map offers a visual representation of the various players, technologies, and relationships within the industry, helping to illustrate the complex network of companies and technologies driving the sector forward. The report also includes specific case studies of prominent companies in the digital human space. These case studies focus on major tech companies like Lenovo, Baidu, and Kuaishou, detailing their particular approaches to digital human technology, their flagship products or platforms, and how they are applying digital humans in their respective business areas. These examples provide concrete illustrations of how leading companies are innovating and implementing digital human technologies, offering insights into different business models and application strategies within the industry.
[IX. Detailed Case Study: Youchain (优链)] The detailed case study on Youchain (优链) presents a comprehensive overview of this leading digital human technology company in China. Founded by a team of top experts in AI, AR/VR, and blockchain, Youchain specializes in creating highly realistic 3D digital avatars. Their flagship product, the 3D Cloud Array Camera system, is described as the world's first commercially viable device for creating lifelike 3D digital humans in just 5 minutes. The company's technology has found applications in various sectors, including tourism, education, and entertainment. Notably, Youchain served as a digital human service provider for the Hangzhou Asian Games, creating digital avatars for athletes and media personnel. The company has received significant media attention, including 12 feature reports on CCTV, and has won numerous industry awards. Youchain's future vision is ambitious, aiming to create digital avatars for all 1.4 billion Chinese citizens and drive the development of the metaverse industry. The case study concludes with the company's contact information for potential collaborations or inquiries.