The Integration of Influencer Virtual Idols, AI, and Web3: Analysis of the MIRAI Project

The MIRAI project has recently attracted widespread attention, cleverly combining the three popular fields of internet celebrity virtual idols, AI, and Web3. The project raised approximately $12.9 million in just one week, setting a fundraising record for Japanese Web3 projects. Subsequently, MIRAI also landed on the incubation section of a certain trading platform, further enhancing its visibility. To expand community influence, the MIRAI team has also actively interacted with several popular communities.

MIRAI is a project jointly launched by Aww Inc. and a certain blockchain ecological AI platform. It attempts to combine virtual personalities with the concept of Web3, proposing a new idea of "on-chaining" CGI virtual characters. According to the official introduction, the MIRAI project integrates Aww Inc.'s expertise in CG modeling and character design with the advantages of its partners in blockchain infrastructure and AI technology, aiming to create a virtual character with autonomy and intelligent agency capabilities.

Aww Inc. was established in 2019 and is headquartered in Tokyo. It is the first company in Asia to focus on "virtual human" technology. They are committed to combining 3DCG, artificial intelligence, and real-time streaming to create highly realistic digital characters for brand marketing, content creation, and metaverse applications. Aww Inc. not only provides virtual human technology licensing but also promotes global IP co-creation based on real-time streaming, content, and AI.

In terms of commercialization, Aww Inc. has achieved diversified revenue through global licensing and brand collaborations. The most representative example is the virtual model imma, which debuted in 2018. By the end of 2024, imma's total followers on Instagram and TikTok have exceeded 880,000. Known for her unique pink short hair and fine CG modeling, imma has become a top "virtual influencer" in the fashion and business fields, favored by globally renowned brands, and has served as a digital spokesperson for high-end fashion brands multiple times.

In the fields of sports and culture, imma also has significant performances. She participated in the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2021 Paralympic Games, becoming the first virtual person to appear in the series of Paralympic events. Forbes Poland included imma in the "Women of the Year" list, recognizing her influence in breaking the boundaries between reality and virtuality and empowering digital creativity. At the opening ceremony of the Osaka Kansai Expo in April 2025, imma will serve as the host as a "Special Support Ambassador."

In terms of technology research and development, Aww Inc. has established a strategic partnership with a semiconductor giant. This collaboration will integrate AI audio driving technology with GPU acceleration capabilities to enhance real-time emotional interaction and voice lip-syncing of virtual characters, thus entering the "AI-powered Virtual Human 2.0 Era."

The goal of the MIRAI project is to create the first "virtual idol + Web3 autonomous co-creation" ecosystem. Aww Inc. leverages its years of experience in IP operation and community management in the Web2 world to provide core support for the project. At the same time, partners inject the power of "intelligent agents + decentralization" into the project through their underlying technology and on-chain infrastructure.

The roadmap of MIRAI shows that the project will successively launch multiple core features in the coming quarters, including the next-generation launchpad, Agent Studio V2 (which provides video and image APIs and a credit pricing system), Agent Livestreaming, and multi-chain deployment support. These features will provide comprehensive technical support for virtual human content production, interactive experiences, and ecological expansion.

MIR envisions an AI-driven virtual character that is linked to a blockchain identity system. This model enables the virtual character to make autonomous decisions, interact with the community, and receive incentives through the token economy. The project allows the community to act as co-creators and co-governors of the character, jointly determining the storyline development and the direction of IP derivatives. Community members who hold tokens can participate in governance, use the character's image for secondary creation, and share profits, breaking the traditional one-way creation method of virtual IP.

However, the MIRAI project also faces some challenges. In terms of token economics, the high concentration of token distribution may lead to overly centralized governance. Additionally, the phased release of a large number of tokens could trigger price volatility. On the community operation level, while decentralized co-creation can stimulate vitality, it also brings management difficulties such as content quality control and maintaining IP consistency.

Overall, MIRAI has innovative significance in the combination of AI virtual idols and blockchain, providing new ideas for Web3 content creation and IP economy. However, the long-term success of the project also depends on the reasonable design of the token economy, the improvement of community governance mechanisms, and the ability to sustain innovation and value maintenance of virtual characters. Only based on the maturity of both technology and mechanisms can MIRAI truly become a benchmark for the "virtual human + decentralized economy" model.