The biggest streamer on Twitch, Félix Lengyel (27), also known as “xQc”, recently announced his move to the Kick platform. But the real sensation happened at the same time when a mysterious twitch channel called “xQc_AI” suddenly skyrocketed.
When well-known Twitch streamer xQc announced its move to the Kick platform in June, no one suspected that it could easily be replaced. The mysterious twitch channel “xQc_AI” has taken viewers’ hearts by storm by presenting an artificial intelligence that adopts the look and wording of xQc.
With the ability to answer chat questions via a special command, this AI avatar has garnered a lot of attention over the last few weeks.
You can see more about the original xQc in our video:
From Overwatch Pro to #1 on Twitch to $100M – Who is xQc?
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AI imitation reaches almost 1,500 viewers after change
How successful is the KI-xQc? While the first streams of artificial intelligence in February/March 2023 were still quite small with 4-14 average viewers, the tide turned just one week later. The average number of viewers quickly grew into the three-digit range.
After a temporary hiatus in April and May, artificial intelligence came back in June. In July, xQc_AI began broadcasting the new hit game Only Up, reaching new viewer dimensions. Average viewership jumped into the four digits, peaking at an impressive 1,356 viewers (via TwitchTracker).
Of course, those numbers don’t measure up against the real xQc, which averages 50,000 viewers. However, you have to consider that with these numbers, the AI is already among the top 0.09% of Twitch streamers and is therefore one of the 7,000 most successful channels on Twitch.
Fans complain that they understand the AI too well
How close is the resemblance to the real xQc? A key factor in the success of AI lies in its amazing ability to communicate in different languages. English in particular sounds almost perfect. The avatar inherits the wording and language style of the original streamer xQc, resulting in a near-authentic streaming experience.
However, the AI is not free from criticism. Real fans of xQc complain that xQc_AI doesn’t stutter and mumble enough like the real streamer occasionally does. This prompted humorous comments on Twitter that the AI was more understandable than its human counterpart.
How does this affect the numbers of xQc? While “xQc_AI” is conquering the streaming world, xQc has seen a slight decline in viewership since the announcement of the change. Prior to release, he averaged an impressive 70,000 viewers, but now his numbers are between 48,000 and 60,000.
Whether there is a direct connection between the declining numbers and the AI alternative cannot be said, but xQc_AI should have benefited from the fact that the real streamer is now less visible on Twitch.
The xQc_AI success story thus raises the question of whether artificial intelligence could pose a potential threat to established streamers.
Is the development of artificial intelligence a danger for current streamers? xQc_AI has fueled the discussion about the future of artificial intelligence in the entertainment sector.
The ongoing development of AI technologies will no doubt raise more questions about privacy, ethics and human-machine interaction.
As the streaming world evolves, it remains exciting to see how the success of xQc_AI and similar AI avatars will impact the industry. You can read here how other streamers use artificial intelligence to their advantage:
Twitch streamer uses artificial intelligence to ‘meet the needs of fans’