Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA), also known as Yizhuang, has taken a pioneering step by launching a pilot program for "sandbox approval" in the commercial performance sector for robots and digital avatars. The initiative was marked by a certificate-awarding ceremony held yesterday, where the AI virtual idol Yuri received the official "sandbox entry" certificate and the nation's first "digital artist card." This signifies the official implementation of the country's inaugural "sandbox approval" pilot specifically for digital performers in the Beijing BDA.
The "sandbox approval" mechanism is a regulatory framework that allows for controlled experimentation and error tolerance. Regulatory bodies establish a confined, isolated testing environment where they streamline approval processes and temporarily relax certain regulatory rules. This permits companies and institutions to test new business models, operational methods, and technologies within a defined scope, timeframe, and user scale. During the pilot phase, potential risks are contained within the "sandbox" and prevented from spreading externally. Only after successful testing and meeting the required standards can the operations transition to formal, fully compliant status.
The company successfully entering this sandbox, Beijing Guyu Qiushi Business Technology Co., Ltd., is a high-quality AI digital avatar technology enterprise nurtured within the BDA. It owns two core IPs, AI.TALK and the virtual idol Yuri, and is a leading domestic provider of digital avatar content and technical services. Its virtual idol Yuri, designated as the BDA's exclusive "digital resident," boasts over a million followers across online platforms. Yuri has participated in major events such as the Boao Forum for Asia, demonstrating mature technical capabilities and commercial operation experience. Notably, Yuri recently obtained the country's first digital idol identity certification within the Beijing BDA.
As one of the specific innovative scenarios, the Beijing BDA has taken the lead in initiating the "sandbox approval" pilot for commercial performances involving robots and digital avatars. The zone has clearly defined the pilot's scope of application, entry standards, approval procedures, and regulatory details. It has established a full-chain, closed-loop management mechanism encompassing "sandbox application—compliance review—sandbox testing—exit approval." This system ensures that innovation and trial-and-error for new business formats have clear boundaries while maintaining comprehensive, gap-free risk control.
By leveraging this "sandbox approval" pilot, the Beijing BDA has established a compliant entry channel for digital performance arts. It allows pilot enterprises to conduct performance activities within the sandbox, addressing a significant industry gap where there was previously no formal, compliant approval pathway for commercial performances by digital avatars. The nationally first-issued "digital artist card" serves as the exclusive compliance credential for the BDA's digital avatar sandbox pilot, formally bringing commercial performance activities by digital avatars under a regulated supervision system.