According to a report from The Information, TikTok is developing an AI-based virtual influencer feature aimed at assisting e-commerce platform merchants in better promoting and selling their products.

In essence, this feature generates virtual influencer avatars for merchants to serve as protagonists, creating suitable advertisements based on scripts provided by advertisers and prompts from the store, thus aiding in promotion and sales. Foreign media believe that this feature may compete with human creators in the market.

Insiders also mentioned that TikTok has internally tested this AI feature and concluded that it is not yet ready for release, and the sales it attracts are less than those of real-life influencers. However, TikTok believes that AI will become an effective complement to existing advertising channels.

According to advertisers familiar with TikTok's plans, the feature is still in its early stages, and the specific launch date is yet to be determined. Furthermore, as ByteDance continues its testing, this feature may undergo changes or even be scrapped.