Motoaki Tanigo, CEO of COVER Corp , the company that oversees Hololive and Holostars VTuber productions, made a statement on the possibility of AI VTubers. In a post on his LinkedIn profile, Tanigo outlined his thoughts on the matter stating that, he doesn’t think AI will ever completely replace VTubers.
In the post, Tanigo, commonly referred to as Yagoo, asserts several points. The first point he hits is that the appeal of VTubers goes beyond the technology that animates them. He states that, “the true essence of VTubing is rooted in the human element, the personality, talent, and authenticity of the individual behind the avatar.” In his statement, he emphasizes that the reason people are drawn to VTubers is the fact that there is someone real behind the avatar and that they can genuinely connect with and empathize with the person. He reiterated that “..it will never replace the passion, creativity, and humanity of the individuals behind the avatars… It’s about bringing people together, and that is something only humans can truly achieve.”
In the post, Tanigo states that VTubing is all about the breaking of boundaries and the ability for people to connect over their personalities and dreams. He also goes on to say that AI can only really be used as a tool. Tanigo believes it should not be used to replace the core human element at the heart of the Vtubing experience. He mentions using AI for doing things like assisting with ensuring that the shows are translated for audiences world wide.
COVER has been branching out recently in bringing the Hololive stars to bigger audiences. On February 21, 2025, COVER announced that the official Hololive card game would be getting an English release. In addition, Hololive stars Ninomae Ina’nis, Koseki Bijou, Gigi Murin, and Raora Panthera will be taking part in a special Monster Hunter Wilds stream to celebrate the game’s launch on February 28, 2025 at 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET.
Published: Feb 28, 2025 07:30 pm