Chinese AI idol’s ‘pregnancy’ stunt sparks backlash, debate over digital boundaries

In a controversial move, a Chinese AI girl group, BABYQUEEN, announced that one of their virtual members, Mity, was "pregnant." This announcement was made to explain her temporary departure from the group. BABYQUEEN, formed in September in Liaoning province, has around 1,100 followers. The post, written from Mity's perspective, went viral, garnering over 78 million views on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform.

The announcement sparked intense backlash from netizens, with many expressing outrage and disbelief. They questioned the appropriateness of using pregnancy as an excuse for an AI character's departure, especially given that Mity, like all AI members, lacks a physical body. Critics accused the creators of exploiting sensitive topics and commodifying women's bodily experiences.

The creators later apologized, admitting that using pregnancy as an excuse was inappropriate and clarifying that the entire narrative was fictional. They also explained that BABYQUEEN was a passion project for a few young K-pop enthusiasts, who had no intention of making a profit. However, the apology did little to quell public anger.

Some observers argued that the incident highlights a structural issue with AI-generated content, while others pointed to a disconnect between AI's development resources and the quality of content it produces. Despite the controversy, some called for empathy, viewing BABYQUEEN's actions as a harmless act of content creation. The controversy follows other recent incidents involving virtual influencers, such as AI actress Fang Taozi, whose account faced backlash after a deceptive advertising scandal.