New schemes for selling goods based on video content are gaining popularity in China. These videos often evoke a strong emotional response from viewers, prompting them to help, but it turns out that the characters in them are not real people, but are created using artificial intelligence (AI).
A virtual character named 'Xiaohai' has become the focus. His videos are distributed on Chinese short-form video platforms. In these clips, a child from a poor family living with his father, without a mother, is depicted. The storylines feature moments such as lack of money and difficulties at school. Xiaohai frequently demonstrates his helplessness, talking about insufficient funds for food or showing himself alone at a school desk.
To establish an emotional connection with the viewer, he addresses women as 'auntie' and 'mom.' Viewers, mistaking him for a real child, express sympathy and offer advice. However, this boy is a fictional persona created with the help of AI.
The purpose of these videos is not only to showcase tragic stories. According to reports, after winning the audience's trust through such plots, viewers are actively persuaded to buy various products. Xiaohai advertises everything from daily necessities to cosmetics and other goods. When people become emotionally invested in his story, they begin purchasing the offered items. Some reports indicate that products sold through these accounts may cost more than similar items on other online platforms.
Thus, the method used is eliciting sympathy through sad stories, and then this emotional connection is monetized through product sales. In some videos, the AI character is portrayed as diligently working to help his family.
The most striking aspect was that some people believed the authenticity of this fictional character. Reports state that a 79-year-old man in China was stopped while traveling on a train. He was heading to Yuncheng in Shanxi province to meet Xiaohai. Railway police officers explained to him that the child in the video was not real but was a virtual character created with AI, advising him to return.
This incident highlights that not every touching story on social media is true; many videos can be constructed to evoke a sense of real distress in the viewer. Even if some videos carry a label stating they were created with AI, many users continue to believe the story and the character are genuine, especially those who are not well-informed about AI video creation methods. Some data suggests that measures have been taken against such accounts: some have deleted their videos, and others have closed their online stores, although similar videos continue to appear.
The reason for the viral popularity of such materials lies in the use of emotion. When a lonely, poor, or distressed child is shown, it elicits sympathy. The use of words like 'auntie' and 'mom' enhances the feeling of connection among viewers. This case leads to the conclusion that one must verify the authenticity of any touching story on social media before making purchases. Since it is now possible to create videos indistinguishable from reality using AI, it is crucial to investigate the information behind the video instead of blindly trusting it.