"Cyber pets" — virtual cats and dogs created with the help of artificial intelligence and appearing in short videos on local platforms — are rapidly gaining popularity in China. According to the Chinese publication Lanjingwang, dated 23 October 2026, the combined views of hashtags related to #AICuteAnimals have already exceeded 2,64 billion, and more than 124 thousand creators have released corresponding content.
Series such as "AI Cat Daily Series" have garnered 450 million views, while "The Story of the Chubby Cheese Cat" has drawn 190 million. In the videos, the pets are given a wide variety of roles: a bichon frise appears as a damsel in distress, a schnauzer as a charismatic company president, and an ordinary cat rides the subway to work, works overtime, buys a sausage from a street vendor and returns home to finish up tasks. Viewers note that such stories resonate with their own lives, even though all the animals are AI-generated.
The popularity is explained by a combination of cuteness and the absence of real obligations. Dong Chenyu, a professor at the School of Journalism and Communication at Renmin University, emphasizes that virtual pets evoke affection and empathy among young people, while requiring no walks, vaccinations, fur cleaning or other cares inherent to real animals. The content can be watched at any time without any burden.
Accounts with AI pets are monetized through platform revenue sharing, brand placements, advertising, commissions from live sales and the sale of IP rights. Advertising rates for a single short-drama account reach 80 thousand yuan. According to experts' estimates, short-form videos and the pet market, each of which has recently experienced rapid growth, create a powerful synergistic effect: the number of short-drama users in China has already exceeded 850 million, and the volume of the pet goods market last year amounted to 312,6 billion yuan.
At the same time, concerns are growing as well. Platforms are introducing mandatory labeling of AI content, regulatory requirements are tightening, and viewers are beginning to tire of formulaic plots. In addition, questions of copyright and ownership of intellectual property over AI-generated material remain unresolved.
