China's AI-generated singer's 'pregnancy' storyline sparks backlash

The producers of BABYQUEEN, a five-member virtual girl group created with artificial intelligence in China, announced that member Mity was taking a break from activities because she was pregnant. After the post drew widespread backlash, the producers admitted that the story was fabricated.

BABYQUEEN, a virtual girl group from China's Liaoning Province whose members were all created with artificial intelligence, announced that member Mity would take a break from the group's activities because she was pregnant. Founded in September and followed by about 1,100 people, the group published the announcement in mid-October, followed by a statement written in Mity's voice.

The announcement quickly became a subject of interest, with the post receiving more than 78 million views on Weibo. Critics argued that it turned reproductive health into entertainment, while many users mocked the idea of an AI-generated character becoming pregnant.

Japonya'da düzenlenen bir Hatsune Miku konseri (2024)

The group's producers later admitted that the pregnancy story was fabricated. They explained that managing multiple virtual artists had become difficult and that the storyline was a way to reduce their workload.

The incident has reignited debate in China over where digital boundaries should be drawn as AI celebrities and virtual idols rapidly gain popularity.