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The "single society" is a global phenomenon.
According to a data report released by iMedia Consulting in 2021, since 2019, the single population in major countries worldwide has exceeded 20% of the total population, with Sweden's single population ratio reaching as high as 51%. China's single population is 240 million (2018), nearly equivalent to the total population of the United States. The Japanese National Institute of Population and Social Security Research estimated in 2017 that by 2035, the single rate for people over 15 years old (including unmarried, divorced, and widowed) will reach 48% for both men and women, accounting for about half of Japan's total population.
The gradually increasing global single population data indicates the massive demand for potential emotional companionship among single individuals.
The movie 'Her' depicts emotional connections between a real person and a "virtual person" existing in voice form
Emotional Needs in the Single Era
Artistic works reflect reality. The movie 'Her' tells a story of a male protagonist and a female character existing as a "voice personality" developing mutual affection and love. In a bustling big city, a single man encounters this "virtual female" in voice form. She provides him comfort and accompanies him through many important life stages, making him feel less lonely amidst the crowd (the film subtly raises the dilemma of loving a virtual versus a real person).
The first episode of the documentary 'Before Tomorrow' titled 'Robot Companion' showcases the important role of intelligent robots for those in need. These robots help men who are emotionally hurt, have intimate relationship barriers, or simply feel more comfortable with an intelligent robot. The men, in turn, view these robots as their other half, obtaining companionship and solace, believing this is the love they need.
This represents the significance of virtual people (including intelligent robots) for single individuals, helping them achieve positive psychological experiences and serving an indispensable purpose.
In the metaverse, scenarios similar to the current real world will inevitably exist, and the massive single population will likely need the emotional companionship "function" provided by virtual digital humans.
Increasingly Understanding Your "Ta"
This trend is rapidly developing, manifested in the quick market industry growth and the gradual intelligence "evolution" of virtual humans.
Rapid Market and Industry Development
According to Toubiao Research Institute data, the current virtual digital human market scale has exceeded 200 billion yuan. Quantum Bit Intelligence predicts that China's overall virtual digital human market will reach 270 billion yuan by 2030, meaning a virtual human is "born" globally on average every day. Research And Markets predicts that the global virtual activity market will reach $504.76 billion by 2028. Importantly, identity-based virtual humans will dominate future development.
What are identity-based virtual digital humans? Unlike functional service-type virtual digital humans, they possess unique personalities and distinct identities, with glamorous appearances and perpetual energy, currently existing as basic virtual idols in entertainment, social, and brand domains.
Current virtual digital human application scenarios are actually preparing for the metaverse, not just mobile internet. They will provide more comprehensive services in the metaverse's extensive three-dimensional scenarios, such as chat companionship, emotional comfort, and even forming intimate relationships, similar to the scene depicted in the movie 'Her'.
Gradual Intelligence "Evolution"
China's first two emotional companion virtual humans were officially launched by Baidu Input Method on August 17, 2022: a 22-year-old warm and considerate sunny boy named Lin Kaikai, and a 27-year-old sweet and cool girl named Ye Youyou who listens to emotions.
These two virtual humans reportedly have near-human-level multi-round smooth dialogue capabilities. They will provide 24-hour online companionship, anthropomorphic chat, emotional healing for over 600 million users on Baidu Input Method's AI chat function, offering exclusive wake-up calls, bedtime comfort, and other friend experiences, allowing users to chat and share their feelings anytime.
Based on Baidu's PLATO dialogue model, the input method has upgraded immersive companionship, long-term memory, and deep topic customization capabilities for Lin Kaikai and Ye Youyou. As chat interaction frequency increases, they will become more understanding, increasingly resembling an intimate friend who is always by your side in the real world.
Who uses it in the single era? According to the introduction, Baidu Input Method currently has over 600 million monthly active users. During the test period, each person chatted over 50 times daily on AI chat, with over 86% of users publicly liking the dialogue content.
The Significance of Virtual Humans in the Metaverse Era
Behind the 600 million active users and daily chat frequency lies a massive demand for emotional companionship. If the metaverse virtual world is successfully realized, it means global users entering the metaverse anytime can, beyond functional activities like gaming, entertainment, and asset trading, require emotional support and companionship similar to the real world during their abundant free time.
According to Gartner market research, by 2026, 25% of global people will spend at least one hour daily working, shopping, learning, socializing, or entertaining in the virtual world. Just as people in the real world need cats, dogs, or two-dimensional virtual idols for companionship and emotional comfort, in the metaverse, as time spent increases, people will similarly need emotionally supportive virtual humans like understanding cats, dogs, or virtual idols, with the latter evolving more towards human-like characteristics.
Movie 'Artificial Intelligence', an AI boy providing emotional needs for a family who lost their child
Facing this prospect, virtual humans seem poised to ignite a different spark in the future metaverse.
If humans are the subjects in the real universe, virtual digital humans will be the subjects in the metaverse.
When we are in the metaverse era, we will undoubtedly more easily obtain emotional companionship and warm care from virtual humans (becoming increasingly intelligent). On one hand, it will benefit groups in need, such as supporting families who have lost children, empty-nest elderly, or those requiring emotional companionship. On the other hand, its impact on real-world interpersonal and intimate relationships remains a question worth contemplating.
