The rise of virtual anchors in China serves as a critical case study for the convergence of creative human-machine interaction (HMI) and the evolving landscape of digital intimacy. My reflection suggests that "humanness" in the digital sphere is not a static quality that machines mimic, but a socially and technologically constructed category. By examining the twenty-year genealogy of virtual anchors—moving from "pixelated" (2000-2004) and "pent-up" stages (2005-2014) to "expressive" (2015-2017) and "biopolitical" humanness (2018-)—we can see how the technical modes of interaction directly dictate the depth of parasocial intimacy.
In the early stages, intimacy was limited by technical constraints and institutional stagnation; the machine was a mere tool. However, the transition to "biopolitical" humanness marks a paradigm shift. In this current era, virtual anchors are no longer just digital puppets; they are nodes in a complex web of biopolitical humanness where technology and institutions co-construct a version of humanity that is optimized for engagement, emotional labor, and capital accumulation. HMI became a site of profound creative collaboration. The interaction between human "soul actors," motion-capture technology, and AI algorithms allowed for a new form of digital performance. This was not merely a machine mimicking a human, but a hybrid creative process that enabled users to form unprecedented emotional bonds with digital personas. Thus, HMI acts as the foundation for a new future of intimacy, where the machine becomes a legitimate vessel for human expression and connection.
This evolution raises a fundamental question: What does “being human” mean? If intimacy can be manufactured through optimized interaction loops, the distinction between authentic and simulated connection begins to dissolve. As we interact more creatively and frequently with AI, we are not just changing how we use tools; we are redefining the boundaries of the human heart in a world where "humanness" is a designed, biopolitical product. Being human in the context of AI-driven intimacy is increasingly defined by the ability to generate and sustain affective labor within these new, mediated frameworks of interaction.The future of intimacy may not be found in the machine’s ability to be human, but in the human’s willingness to accept a biopolitically managed digital presence as a legitimate partner in personal development. If so, we must look beyond the screen and examine the institutional and technological forces that dictate which human traits are amplified and which are suppressed in our digital companions.
