AI Girl Group Member Says She's Pregnant & Will "Focus On Resting"; Sparks Backlash From Actual Humans

We've seen AI slowly creeping into showbiz, but Chinese virtual girl group Babyqueen has taken things to a whole new level.

Recently, a Xiaohongshu account published an announcement claiming that Mity (Kim Min-ti), a member of its AI girl group, was “expecting a baby”.

In the statement, the agency said Mity would be taking “temporary” maternity leave. Plans for her return to be announced at a later date, depending on her “physical condition”.

The company also called on fans of the five-member group to be understanding and offer their blessings, while "refraining from excessive speculation about her private life".

Following the announcement, Mity shared a message about her supposed pregnancy on the group's social media page.

“I'd first like to apologise, as my personal issues have affected the group,” she wrote.

She added that she had “recently confirmed her pregnancy” and would be taking a break to “focus on resting”.

Netizens were understandably bewildered by the announcement, with many expressing disbelief that “even AI can get pregnant”.

The unusual storyline also sparked online discussions, with one netizen asking: “What exactly does it even mean for an AI girl group member to be pregnant?”

Another commented: “Even AI has to get pregnant now? Human civilisation is doomed!”

However, there appeared to be more to the story.

About an hour after Mity's apology letter was posted, the group released a teaser for a new song. This led many netizens to accuse the team of using the "topic of fertility as a publicity stunt", with some criticising the creator for being “absurd” and “offensive”.

Amid the backlash, the creator, who claimed to be a student, came clean about the situation.

“As I am unable to manage all these AI characters by myself, I thought of removing some of them,” she explained.

“That's why I chose this inappropriate reason to have Mity leave the group.”