Virtual anime girl Kizuna Ai rises to fame

Image: YouTube/A.I.Channel

These days, people can learn just about anything on YouTube. Be it a new skill by checking out a game review, or by just reading comments and discussions on a hot video topic, YouTubers are more than happy to inform and entertain. But one YouTuber is gaining fame on account of her not being a real person.

YouTuber A.I. Kizuna is a virtual anime girl that does Let’s Plays, hosts debates, talks about life, and sometimes just doodles while she streams, reports Kotaku.

In her very first video, she introduces herself as “Kizuna Ai” where “A.I.” is used as the Japanese name “Ai”.

Ai-chan is an active YouTube user, regularly uploading videos every few days since her channel launched around three months ago. So far, her A.I.Channel has garnered roughly 200,000 subscribers.

Unfortunately, she only speaks Japanese. But if you can’t speak Nihongo, she’s still pretty cute to watch.

Apparently, Ai-chan was created using the Miku Miku Dance animation software. It’s the same software widely used to create animated 3D videos of the international vocaloid celebrity, Hatsune Miku. A few netizens also suggest that a software like FaceRig, which can mask a person’s face with an anime character, is being used to hide the creator’s identity.

First, a successful virtual pop star; now, a virtual YouTuber. Next thing we know, a fully self-aware A.I. entity will be integrated into society as one of us. The future’s here, ladies and gents. Alfred Bayle/JB

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