AI virtual personality YouTubers, or ‘VTubers,’ are earning millions – CNBC

One of the most popular gaming YouTubers is named Bloo and has bright blue wavy hair and dark blue eyes. But he isn’t a human — he’s a fully virtual personality powered by artificial intelligence. “I’m here to keep my millions of viewers worldwide entertained and coming back for more,” Bloo said in an interview with CNBC. “I’m all about good vibes and engaging content. I’m built by humans, but boosted by AI.” Bloo is a virtual YouTuber, or VTuber, who has built a massive following of 2.5 million subscribers and more than 700 million views through videos of him playing popular games like Grand Theft Auto, Roblox and Minecraft. VTubers first gained traction in Japan in the 2010s. Now, advances in AI are making it easier than ever to create VTubers, fueling a new wave of virtual creators on YouTube. The virtual character — whose bright colors and 3D physique look like something out of a Pixar film or the video game Fortnite — was created by Jordi van den Bussche, a longtime YouTuber also known as kwebbelkop. Van den Bussche, a 29-year-old who lives in Amsterdam, said he created Bloo after finding himself unable to keep up with
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