If your brand sells in China with an AI host, a virtual presenter or a “digital human” in livestreams, the rules changed this summer. Douyin, Kuaishou, WeChat Channels and Bilibili now require a clear AI label on content that sells. No label means less traffic, suspended streams, and in the worst cases a closed account.
The Chinese business site Jiemian has published a full review of the new rules. I read it with our livestream team in Shanghai. Here is what matters for foreign brands.
The facts: a stack of new rules in 2026
- February 1, 2026: new supervision measures for livestream e-commerce.
- March 20, 2026: food safety responsibility rules for livestream operators.
- July 15, 2026: the Interim Measures on AI Anthropomorphic Interactive Services (人工智能拟人化互动服务管理暂行办法) take effect. They cover AI that talks and acts like a human, which includes digital human hosts.
- August 10, 2026: WeChat Channels applies its own AI application standards.
The four main video platforms tightened their review at the same time. For commercial content, the AI label is mandatory. For non-commercial videos, it is “encouraged”. Jiemian lists the platform sanctions: reduced distribution, stream suspension, account closure and industry blacklist. On the legal side, unlabeled AI content can cost up to 1 million RMB (about $140,000). False advertising can reach 1 to 2 million RMB (about $140,000 to $280,000) and even loss of the business license.
Food gets special attention. A national campaign against false food advertising started in July. Ordinary food cannot claim health benefits. Health products must say they “cannot replace medicine”. And nutrition data written by AI must be checked against facts.
Why this is happening now
Digital humans are everywhere. Jiemian puts the penetration of AI digital human livestreaming at 42.7% in 2026. Many small shops run AI hosts 24 hours a day, because it costs a fraction of a real streamer. I understand the logic. A human host in Hangzhou costs a monthly salary plus commission. A digital human costs much less after setup.
The problem: consumers did not always know they were talking to a machine. And AI hosts repeated claims nobody checked. “This tea lowers blood sugar.” “This cream removes wrinkles in 7 days.” Regulators saw the same pattern as with human hosts in 2021, but at a bigger scale.
My position is simple. This is good news for serious brands. The label does not kill digital humans. It kills cheap tricks.
What changes for your brand
1. Your AI host must show the label all the time
The label must be visible during the stream, not just in a caption at the start. Ask your livestream partner to show you a recording. If the “AI” mark is missing or hidden, fix it before the platform does.
2. You are responsible, not only your agency
Many foreign brands think the TP or the MCN carries the risk. Not true. The brand is the advertiser. A European supplement brand we audited last month had three AI streams running through a reseller, with no label and health claims in the script. They did not even know the streams existed.
3. Scripts need a compliance check
An AI host reads what you give it, and sometimes improvises. Every script needs a review against the advertising law: no superlatives, no medical claims for food and cosmetics, no fake prices. We covered the enforcement side in SAMR’s 2026 crackdown on superlatives and misleading claims.
4. Mix human and AI
What works best for our clients today: a real host for peak hours (evening, big promotions), a labeled digital human for off-peak hours. The human builds trust. The AI keeps the store open at 3 am. Shoppers accept this model when it is honest.
How to use the new rules to your advantage
Most small competitors will cut corners, get flagged, and lose traffic. Brands that run clean, labeled, well-scripted streams will get more stable distribution. I see compliance as a ranking factor now, like content quality.
If you advertise on Douyin or WeChat, start with our advertising services in China and read how the new livestream law reshapes the rules. For background on the wider AI rules, the Cyberspace Administration of China publishes the official texts.
At GMA, we audit livestream accounts, rewrite scripts for compliance and run hybrid human plus AI streams for foreign brands. A short audit costs less than one week of blocked traffic.
Question for you: will Chinese shoppers keep buying from an AI host once the “AI” label is always on screen, or will the label push brands back to human streamers?
