It blinks, but its not human: Audience reactions and trust crisis triggered by artificial intelligence (AI) anchors in Chinese social media

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) in Chinese internet media platforms, such as Douyin, Bilibili, and Xiaohongshu, has presented new challenges to audience trust and perceptions of authenticity in mediated communication. Such digital avatars, designed to imitate human contact in livestreams and news broadcasts, have drawn widespread concern and emotional reactions from audiences, primarily with reference to the separation of artificial beings and human beings. This study examines the Chinese audience reception of the new trend of AI anchors through a comment content analysis taken from major platforms. It examines emotional narratives evinced by AI performances articulated around theories of anthropomorphism failure and media trust. Emotions such as fear, doubt, satire, and manipulation are of specific concern to the study. A qualitative content analysis of the top 1,000 most viewed user comments in March to June 2025 discloses a mix of fear, humour, and scepticism. Some people express emotional responses accompanied by an evident sense of distrust, while others practice recontextualization with the use of comedic imitation and irony in presenting their opinions. The research verifies that AI anchoring destabilises conventional assumptions about the boundaries between human beings and machines, spreading a cloud of doubt over the cherished ideas of credibility, transparency, and control over digital media consumption. In addition, the research contributes to the growing literature on the audience's interaction with artificial media and points out the constantly changing dynamics of trust in tech-mediated communication.