With the rapid development of science and technology, virtual digital people are gradually moving from science fiction to reality, becoming a bridge connecting the meta-universe and the real world. Recently, the digital person has become the focus of the industry, major companies have layout, looking forward to this emerging field to seize the first opportunity. However, can virtual digital people really become a new growth point of the “digital economy” as expected? What are the hidden challenges and opportunities behind it?
I. The Rise and Boom of Virtual Digital People
In recent years, the virtual digital person industry has ushered in unprecedented development opportunities. From the national level, virtual digital technology has been incorporated into the “14th Five-Year Plan”, and has been strongly supported by the policy. At the same time, governments around the world have also introduced relevant policies to encourage and support the development of virtual digital people. For example, Beijing has issued the first special support policy for the digital human industry in China, and Shanghai has also put forward the key implementation of the digital human enhancement project in the relevant program of “Yuan Universe”.
Internet manufacturers are not willing to lag behind, have joined the virtual digital person battle. Huawei, Baidu and other companies believe that the era of “digital human freedom” has arrived, and are actively promoting the research and application of related technologies. Ali, Jingdong and other e-commerce platforms are counting on virtual digital people to revitalize the “Double Eleven” and other shopping carnivals. Tencent, jittery tone, fast hand and other platforms have also launched virtual human production platform, to provide users with a more diversified interactive experience.
In this context, the investment and financing amount of the virtual digital human track continues to grow. Data shows that as of September 2022, the investment and financing amount of China’s virtual digital person track has exceeded that of the whole of last year, reaching 2.49 billion yuan. This figure has realized an amazing growth in just a few years, showing the market’s enthusiastic pursuit of the virtual digital person industry.
II. The Value and Application of Virtual Digital People
The rise of virtual digital person is not empty talk, behind which lies great commercial value and application potential. From the perspective of the industry chain, virtual digital man can be divided into three levels: the foundation layer, the platform layer and the application layer. The foundation layer mainly includes modeling, rendering, XR and other hardware and software manufacturers, providing technical support for the production of virtual digital man; the platform layer is responsible for transforming the basic technology into real-life applications, including hardware and software processing systems, production technology platforms and AI platforms, etc.; the application layer is a specific scenario for the virtual digital man to play a role in, involving film and television, media, gaming, finance, branding, and many other industries.
In the field of film and television, virtual digital man has become an important part of the special effects movie, bringing more realistic visual experience for the audience. In the game field, virtual digital person has become the player’s avatar in the virtual world, adding more interactivity and fun to the game. In brand endorsement and live streaming scenarios, virtual digital people attract a large number of fans with their unique images and voices, creating great commercial value for the brand.
In addition, virtual digital people also show broad application prospects in education, healthcare, culture and tourism and other fields. In the field of education, virtual teachers can provide students with a more personalized learning experience; in the medical field, virtual doctors can assist doctors in remote diagnosis and treatment; in the field of culture and tourism, virtual tour guides can lead tourists to appreciate the local customs of different regions.
III. Challenges and Opportunities for Virtual Digital People
Although the virtual digital person industry has a broad prospect, it also faces many challenges in the process of development. First of all, the realization of the vision of the meta-universe still needs time, the lack of subject growth “hotbed” of virtual digital people how to “develop” into a new growth point of the digital economy is still an unknown. Secondly, the technical threshold of the virtual digital person is high, and it needs to invest a lot of manpower, material and financial resources for research and development and promotion. In addition, the business model and application scenarios of virtual digital people still need to be further explored and improved.
However, challenges and opportunities coexist. With the continuous progress of technology and the continuous expansion of application scenarios, the virtual digital person industry will usher in more development opportunities. First, with the popularization and application of 5G, AI and other technologies, the production and presentation of virtual digital people will be more realistic and vivid. Second, with the growing demand of consumers for personalization and customization, virtual digital people will better meet the needs and expectations of users. Finally, with the continuous expansion and improvement of the virtual world, the virtual digital person will become a bridge and link between the real world and the virtual world, injecting new vigor and momentum into the digital economy, vitality and power.
As a bridge and link connecting the meta-universe and the real world, virtual digital people contains huge commercial value and application potential behind it. Although the virtual digital person industry faces many challenges and uncertainties in the process of development, as long as we maintain a keen market insight and innovative spirit, and continue to explore and improve the technology, business model and application scenarios of the virtual digital person, we believe that the virtual digital person will be able to become a new growth point of the digital economy, and bring more convenience and fun to our lives.
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