Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has released a virtual idol promoting the 2022 Beijing Olympics, riding on a trend that has swept China. Named “Dong Dong,” the virtual idol, a computer-generated character, is “a passionate, Beijing-born 22-year-old woman who loves winter sports,” according to Alibaba’s description. Since early February she has appeared in nightly broadcasts via Taobao Live, Alibaba’s livestreaming services. In her hours-long livestreaming sessions, Dong Dong can be seen sharing bits of Olympics-related trivia, promoting Olympics-related merchandise, and dancing. Dong Dong was created by DAMO Academy, Alibaba’s research arm for advanced technology. Virtual idols have gained massive popularity in...