AI idol Yuri takes the stage at Shanghai’s Inclusion Conference
The certified digital performer sang, danced and collaborated with human musicians before thousands at the inaugural AI Art Festival
Yuri, a Chinese virtual AI idol, made what was described as her first live, in-person global performance on Sept. 11 at Shanghai’s AI Art Festival, appearing before thousands of people during the 2026 Inclusion Conference on the Bund.
The performance moved the character from an off-screen format to a concert setting. Yuri sang solo songs, danced, spoke with the audience and shared the stage with the indie folk duo The Landlord’s Cat, a children’s choir and traditional folk musicians. ABC reported that she appeared as an adult woman on a 100-meter-wide screen, sang in Mandarin and English, and changed outfits instantly.
Yuri was created by Zhao Hanqing, founder of AI.Talk, and launched in June 2025. China Daily Asia described her as China’s first virtual AI idol to receive official digital-avatar certification from a Beijing district. It reported that her debut single, “Surreal,” had received more than 11 million streams and that she had nearly 800,000 social-media followers.
Earlier this year, Yuri became the first Chinese digital human to receive a government-based identification card containing her name, birthday, address and facial features. The Beijing pilot programme made her China’s first licensed AI artist. Her operators can use the official identity to open a digital-currency wallet and seek commercial partnerships. Her Chinese social-media following was put at more than 100,000, and a human team develops and maintains the system and manages fan interactions.
Zhao said Yuri, unlike conventional virtual idols modelled on real people, had developed a distinct style and personality through music creation, video generation and real-world interaction. He said she generated many of the concert’s design elements and audience exchanges, surprising the production team.
The festival was held for the first time as part of the wider conference, which ran from Sept. 9 to 12 at Huangpu World Expo Park. Shanghai’s government said the event used music, video and exhibitions to showcase AI in artistic creation. It featured more than 100 AI-generated films, alongside digital artists, folk bands, traditional ensembles, children’s choirs and robots.
The conference drew more than 78,000 attendees from over 50 countries and regions, according to the event’s post-conference account, while 23 million people watched online. Its technology exhibition covered 15,000 square metres and included more than 300 companies.
Yuri’s appearance came as China’s digital-human sector expanded and regulators developed identification systems. A 2025 estimate valued the market at 48 billion yuan, or about $10 billion, and at least 1.3 million Chinese firms were linked to the sector. Beijing had issued guidance urging broadcasting and online-video services to register digital humans, though China had not yet created a unified national regulatory system.
Virtual performers had previously appeared alongside human musicians in Shanghai: a concert featuring virtual idol Luo Tianyi and pianist Lang Lang was described by the South China Morning Post in 2019 as China’s first pairing of a holographic singer with a live musician.