AI Influencer's Contact Lens Ad Taken Down Over False Experience Claims

A contact lens advertisement featuring the popular Chinese AI virtual influencer "Fang Taozi" was taken down from Douyin following public backlash. The controversy arose because the AI character claimed to have worn the lenses for a whole day and found them comfortable, which netizens pointed out is physically impossible for a virtual entity. This incident highlights the emerging legal and ethical challenges of using AI influencers for product endorsements, particularly regarding false advertising laws. It sets a precedent for how consumer protection regulations apply to non-human entities that simulate human experiences. Under the Advertising Law of the People's Republic of China, fabricating the effects of using a product or service constitutes false advertising. Since virtual influencers lack physical bodies, claiming personal physical experience with a product violates these regulations.