ByteDance invests in AI-powered female virtual assistants
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China may soon have a high-powered version of Siri or Alexa. Lǐ Wèikě (李未可), the flagship AI assistant product of Hangzhou Li Wei Ke Technology, just found a sponsor in ByteDance, one of China’s largest technology companies, per 36Kr.
- Li Weike was created by Rú Yì 茹忆, the former general manager of Alibaba’s AI labs. He founded the company last October with an all-star team of engineers at Xiaomi, Huawei, and Alibaba.
- “We want to make Li Weike the first AI assistant with the ability to make emotional connections in China, so that our AR glasses not only have a beautiful face, but a meaningful soul,” his team said.
- Li Weike is presented as an attractive woman.
The context: As part of a sizable reshuffling last year, which saw its founder step down from the role of CEO, ByteDance has invested heavily in virtual reality software. The TikTok parent now holds ownership stakes in Lehua Entertainment, which developed the virtual idol group A-SOUL and the VR reality startup Pico.
- At Alibaba, Ru Yi got his start developing AI-powered devices like the smart speaker Tmall Genie X1, a hand-free voice-controlled speaker system like the Amazon Echo. Last year, Tmall Genie sold more than 30 million units, becoming the best-selling smart speaker in China.
- Ru Yi came to see a full-blown virtual assistant as the natural evolution in smart speaker tech. The startup has begun to roll out Li Wei Ke-based short-form videos on Douyin and Little Red Book, and even an anime series on Bilibili.
The takeaway: As Japan’s otaku culture grips China’s urban youths, high-tech female virtual assistants seem like a natural extension of the sprawling gaming industry and ACG culture (short for “Anime,” “Comics,” “Games”). As a demographic crisis looms, however, it’s unclear how receptive Beijing will be to virtual female companions that cannot bear the country any children.
