(ECNS) — An AI-generated character posing as an unfortunate young boy is exploiting older Chinese consumers on short-video platforms, using fabricated tales of hardship to elicit sympathy and drive online sales, Chinese media reported.
The character, known as Xiaohai, appears in videos describing a difficult childhood in a single-parent family. Addressing viewers as "aunties" and "moms," the virtual boy has persuaded some middle-aged and elderly users to buy products promoted through the videos.
Accounts featuring Xiaohai post a variety of content, including songs, snippets of daily life and job-related videos. Many appear designed to exploit older viewers' sympathy and loneliness by offering a sense of emotional connection.
Some viewers have treated the fictional character as their own child, leaving comments such as "Don't cry, son" and "Keep going, kid," while posting screenshots of their purchases.
According to media reports, a 79-year-old man was stopped by railway police in Urumqi, Xinjiang, as she boarded a train bound for Yuncheng, Shanxi, to see Xiaohai, which doesn't exist.
Several accounts have since removed sales videos or closed their online storefronts. Others have been banned, renamed or deleted their content, but similar videos continue to appear on the platforms.
Products promoted through the accounts are often more expensive than comparable goods on other e-commerce platforms, according to media reports. One operator reportedly said a creator targeting middle-aged and elderly consumers could earn 2,000 to 3,000 yuan ($300 to $450) a day, adding that this was a relatively modest return.
The tales of hardship are simply a marketing tactic, the reports said.
Some videos carry a small label in the lower-left corner stating that the content was AI-generated. But such disclosures may do little to alert older users unfamiliar with AI or unable to read.
Rui Huanyue, a lawyer at Shanghai Jiuze Law Firm, said operators who use AI-generated characters and fabricated stories of suffering to manipulate consumers, particularly older people, into making purchases could face civil, administrative or criminal liability, depending on the circumstances.
Short-video platforms also have legal obligations to oversee such content before, during and after publication, Rui said.
Platforms should conduct safety assessments of virtual characters used in marketing and clearly label AI-generated content, she said. They should also review posts, monitor activity in real time and use risk-detection systems to identify potentially abusive marketing, taking measures such as issuing warnings or restricting traffic where necessary.
Platforms should also establish effective complaint and reporting mechanisms and assist consumers in resolving disputes, including providing relevant evidence when purchases made through links or QR codes are contested, Rui said.
Under China's Provisions on the Management of Algorithmic Recommendations in Internet Information Services, platforms providing algorithmic recommendation services to older people must protect their lawful rights and interests and monitor, identify and handle information related to telecommunications and online fraud, she added.
(By Zhang Dongfang)
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