BEIJING, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Inside a sun-drenched rural courtyard, three cats brew osmanthus rice-wine coffee, shoot down white-water rapids and craft porcelain cups. Generated through artificial intelligence (AI), they purr, play and embark on little countryside adventures.
The episodes on the social media account "Maoziqi" have turned the digital felines into online stars, spurring a fast-growing wave of AI-generated pet videos across Chinese social platforms. Some followers have compared the series to the classic cartoon "Tom and Jerry."
For many young viewers, these are not just algorithm-generated images. They are virtual pets -- furry companions that the viewers love and even imagine adopting.
As technology makes ever-more lifelike virtual characters possible, the emotional attachments people build with them are emerging as a new source of consumer demand.
Even though viewers know these animals are fictional, they follow their updates, engage and form emotional ties. The phenomenon reflects a broader consumption shift, with people increasingly ready to pay, not just for goods or content, but for the emotional value and companionship they provide.
A 2025 report on Generation Z's emotional consumption found that nearly 90 percent of young respondents had paid for emotional value, while nearly 40 percent were frequent consumers.
This shift is visible at the ongoing ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, where booths in the Consumer Goods exhibition area, featuring creative toys, designer toys, and IP-related merchandise, have drawn large crowds.
BOOM IN AI PET VIDEOS
The popularity of these pets is part of a wider surge in AI-generated content. AI pet accounts like "Maoziqi" have carved out a distinctive niche across China's online platforms, such as Douyin, Xiaohongshu and Bilibili.
The hashtag #AICutePets on Douyin has accumulated 3.19 billion views, with more than 160,000 creators contributing content. On Xiaohongshu, the same hashtag has attracted 75.89 million views and 112,000 discussions.
The trend reflects a rapid increase in accessible generative AI across China, where low-cost tools let ordinary internet users create content without formal training.
The creator of "Maoziqi," a 29-year-old man from Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, is one such newcomer. Before going full-time on AI pet videos, the former real estate copywriter was jobless for nearly a year.
Despite having no formal training in film or television production, he shot to overnight fame with "Maoziqi." In just six months after its launch in April, it amassed around 1.7 million followers and over 500 million views across platforms.
The creator made the popular videos from his bedroom, using only three tools: Microsoft Word, the video editor CapCut, and the AI image and video generator Dreamina. "I have no team at all," he added.
The rise of AI pet content also comes against the backdrop of China's expanding pet economy. According to a 2026 industry report, the number of pet dogs and cats in China's urban areas reached 126 million in 2025, driving the pet consumption market to 312.6 billion yuan (about 45.5 billion U.S. dollars). The market is expected to expand further to 405 billion yuan by 2028.
Commercial opportunities have grown alongside the expanding market. Brand deals have followed one after another, accounting for about 70 percent of the total income of "Maoziqi."
Another creator, known online as Zhu Bu'er, said he had learned that leading creators in the AI pet niche could command as much as 80,000 yuan for a single advertising deal, with some top-tier creators reportedly earning up to 1 million yuan a month.
Unlike "Maoziqi," whose short videos each tell a standalone story, Zhu's episodes follow a longer serialized format. Set in a village, the story centers on an AI-generated yellow dog. The first video garnered over 3 million views and 30,000 likes.
AI platforms are stepping up efforts to attract and support creators through incentive programs, offering cash rewards and other benefits for popular works. Such initiatives, together with the growing commercial opportunities, reflect the enormous potential of this space.
LOW-BURDEN COMPANIONSHIP
In the comedic AI series by "Maoziqi," an orange cat is always up to mischief, while a white cat quietly gets things done. They live in the countryside, doing daily chores such as sorting rice, brewing wine, lighting fires and cooking, and sometimes trying their paws at handicrafts. Occasionally, their friend, a hard-working cat who has returned from the city, drops by, adding surprises to the stories.
The videos contain no dialogue. Instead, they feature the sounds of wind, cicadas, and crackling firewood, creating a low-information, low-pressure viewing experience.
Some viewers see themselves in the three cats: the capable white cat resembles the strong can-do version of themselves, the mischievous orange cat reminds them of a colleague who likes to slack off, while the city cat seems to echo the frustration they themselves have experienced during a busy day.
For young people commuting or working overtime, the videos have become a form of "digital countryside" -- a light source of emotional relief amid the pace of urban life. As netizens put it, "Maoziqi" reminds them of Chinese social media influencer Li Ziqi, but with a much funnier twist.
Chen Wu, a psychological researcher at Wuhan University, said that compared with keeping a real pet, AI-generated pet content offers companionship with relatively little commitment. "They do not get sick, require expensive food, or need constant care," Chen added, describing this as a form of "low-burden attachment" and "lightweight social interaction."
For some viewers, these digital companions can also evoke memories of loved ones who have passed away.
A follower of Zhu once left a message saying that the yellow dog in Zhu's AI videos reminded him of a dog he had raised with his grandmother. The dog had been a companion to his family for years, and the videos brought back memories of the dog and his grandmother, both of whom he had lost.
Such responses show that virtual characters move people not simply because they are lifelike or cute, but because viewers project their own life experiences, emotional memories and real-world aspirations onto them.
The creator of "Maoziqi" once shared his secret to success, which involved drawing inspiration from the two real cats he owns. "The actions come from real cats, the punchlines from real life -- never leave everything to AI," he said.
Perhaps this holds the key to the AI-generated pets' popularity. The animals may be virtual, but the emotions, memories and human experiences that bring their stories to life are anything but virtual. ■
