Written by: Far
The “single society” is a global phenomenon.
According to a data report released by iiMedia Consulting in 2021, since 2019, the single population in major countries around the world has accounted for more than 20% of the total population, and the proportion of single population in Sweden is as high as 51%. China has a single population of 240 million (2018), which is close to the total population of the United States. The National Institute of Social Security and Population Research of Japan estimated in 2017 that by 2035, the single rate of all people over the age of 15 in Japan (including unmarried, divorced, and widowed) will reach 48%, accounting for about half of the entire Japanese population.
The gradually increasing number of single people worldwide year by year indicates a significant demand for potential emotional companionship among this large single population.
The movie “Her” presents the emotions between real people and “virtual beings” that exist in the form of voice.
The emotional needs of the single era
Artworks are a reflection of reality. The movie “Her” tells the story of a man in real life who develops feelings and love for a woman who exists as a “voice persona.” In a bustling metropolis where people are constantly on the move, the single man meets this “virtual woman” who exists in voice form. She provides him with much comfort and accompanies him through many significant moments in his life, making him feel less lonely amidst the tide of the crowd (the film subtly raises the dilemma of what the difference is between loving a virtual person and loving a real person).
The documentary “Before Tomorrow” Episode 1 “Robot Companions” presents the important role that intelligent robots play for those in need. “They” help men who have been emotionally hurt, have intimacy issues, or simply feel more comfortable spending time with intelligent robots. The men also see “her” as their other half, receiving companionship and solace from “her,” believing that this is the love they need.
This is the significance of virtual beings (including intelligent robots) for single individuals, as it helps them achieve a positive psychological experience and, in a sense, assumes an indispensable importance.
In the metaverse, there will inevitably be scenarios similar to those in the current real world, where the large population of single individuals will likely need the emotional companionship “function” brought by virtual digital humans.
Becoming more and more able to understand your “Ta”
This trend is rapidly developing, manifested in the fast growth of the market industry and the gradual intelligence evolution of virtual beings.
The rapid development of markets and industries
According to data from the Head Leopard Research Institute, the current market size of virtual digital humans has exceeded 200 billion yuan. The Quantum Bit Think Tank predicts that by 2030, the overall market size of virtual digital humans in China will reach 270 billion yuan, which means that an average of one virtual human will be “born” globally every day. Additionally, according to Research And Markets, the global virtual events market size is expected to reach 50.476 billion USD (approximately 3270.744 billion yuan) by 2028. Importantly, identity-based virtual humans will dominate future development.
What is an identity-type virtual digital person? It is a different type from functional service-type virtual digital people, possessing a unique personality and distinct identity, with a dazzling appearance and ever-abundant energy. Currently, it exists in a more basic form as virtual idols in the entertainment, social, and branding fields.
The current application scenarios of virtual digital humans are actually prepared for the metaverse, not just for mobile internet. They will provide more comprehensive services in the vast application scenarios of the metaverse with a three-dimensional image, such as companionship and chatting, emotional comfort, and even forming intimate relationships with people, just like the scenes presented in the movie “Her.”
The increasingly intelligent “evolution”
The first domestic emotion companion virtual human (with two characters) was officially launched by Baidu Input Method on August 17, 2022. One is a 22-year-old sunny and handsome, caring and attentive gentle boy named Lin Kaikai, and the other is a 27-year-old emotional listener, a sweet and cool girl named Ye Youyou, who is clear-headed.
It is reported that the two virtual beings possess multi-turn fluent conversation abilities close to that of real people. They will provide 24-hour online companionship, humanized chat, emotional healing, and other services for over 600 million users through the AI KanKan feature of Baidu Input Method. They also offer exclusive wake-up calls, lullabies, and other friend-like experiences, as well as emotional needs such as chatting anytime and sharing feelings.
Based on the Wenxin PLATO dialogue large model, Baidu Input Method has also upgraded the immersive companionship, long-term memory, and deep topic customization capabilities for Lin Kaikai and Ye Youyou. As the frequency of chat interactions increases, they will become more familiar with you, becoming increasingly like an intimate friend who is always by your side, talking about anything and everything with you in the real world.
In the era of being single, who is using it? According to the introduction, Baidu Input Method currently has over 600 million monthly active users. During the testing period, it was recorded that each person chats with AI more than 50 times a day, and over 86% of users publicly liked the conversation content.
The significance of virtual beings in the era of the metaverse.
With a monthly active user base of 600 million people and the frequency of chats per person each day, behind this massive demand is a significant need for emotional support and companionship. If the successful realization of the metaverse, this virtual world, means that a vast number of global users can enter the metaverse anytime and anywhere, in addition to engaging in functional activities like gaming and trading assets, they will also require emotional and companionship support similar to that in the real world during their substantial free time.
According to forecasts by market research firm Gartner, by 2026, 25% of people globally will spend at least one hour each day working, shopping, educating, socializing, or entertaining in the virtual world. While in the real world, people need to raise cats and dogs, or seek companionship from virtual idols in the two-dimensional realm for emotional comfort, in the metaverse, as the time spent increases, people also need emotionally supportive virtual beings akin to understanding cats, dogs, or virtual idols, with the latter evolving more towards the direction of real humans.
The movie “Artificial Intelligence” depicts how an AI boy fulfills the emotional needs of families that have lost their only child.
In the face of this prospect, virtual humans seem poised to ignite a different spark in the future metaverse.
If humans are the subjects of the real universe, then virtual digital humans are the subjects of the metaverse.
When we are in the era of the metaverse, it will inevitably be easier to obtain emotional companionship and warmth from virtual beings (which will become more intelligent in the future). On one hand, it will bring positive effects to those in need, such as providing support for families who have lost only children, elderly people living alone, or individuals who require emotional companionship. However, on the other hand, is its impact on interpersonal relationships and intimate relationships in real society positive and constructive? This is a question worth our consideration.
