Kizuna AI

Kizuna AI

By WVR Editorial Team Inoue
October 20, 2026 3 Min Read
Comments Off on Kizuna AI

Kizuna AI is the virtual YouTuber who helped define the category. She started posting on YouTube in 2016, and Wikipedia describes her as the first modern virtual YouTuber with the characteristics usually ascribed to them. Her activities are run by Kizuna AI Inc., and in 2026 she is celebrating her 10th anniversary. This profile covers her history, her return from a hiatus, her 2026 releases and where to start.

At a glance

  • Company: Kizuna AI Inc. (founded May 11, 2020; representative director Takeshi Osaka, per the official site)
  • Started: 2016 (main channel created October 18; first video posted November 29)
  • Main platform and language: YouTube, in Japanese; she has a Chinese-language channel and overseas events
  • Known for: being the VTuber whose success popularized the term, plus music, television and brand work
  • Official stated aim: “to connect with everyone in the world” (official site)

How she started

The “A.I.Channel” on YouTube was created on October 18, 2016, and her first video was posted on November 29, 2016, according to Wikipedia. Her character design is credited to En Morikura, with 3D modelling by Tomitake. Within months the channel reached 100,000 subscribers (February 2017). A gaming channel, “A.I.Games,” opened on March 31, 2017, and a Chinese-language channel launched in June 2019.

Her early upload of November 2016, from the A.I.Channel

Why she matters to the industry

Wikipedia reports that she was the most-subscribed VTuber on YouTube until 2021, with over 4 million subscribers across three channels and 1 million on Bilibili. She performed live at AnimeJapan in March 2017, hosted the variety show *Kizuna AI no BEAT Scramble* on BS NTV from April 2018, and appeared in advertising for SoftBank. She is also an ambassador for one of the Japan National Tourism Organization’s “Come to Japan” campaigns. Her breadth, from television to commercials, set a template for how virtual talents could work with mainstream media in Japan.

Not all of that exposure was uncritical. Wikipedia notes that her appearance in October 2018 on an NHK program interviewing Nobel Prize winners drew debate, with scholars criticizing her passive role and appearance.

Music

  • 2018: her first original song, “Hello, Morning,” a Eurodance single released to celebrate 2 million subscribers.
  • March 1, 2019: the Dutch duo W&W released “The Light,” on which she sings and dances.
  • 2025: the single “Kamo ne,” marking her return.

Hiatus and return

In December 2021 she announced a February 2022 tour, “hello, world 2022,” followed by an indefinite hiatus. During that period the TV anime *Kizuna no Allele*, produced by Wit Studio and Signal.MD, aired from April to June 2023. She resumed activities on February 26, 2025, after about three years, with “Kamo ne.”

2026: 10th anniversary

According to Real Sound, Kizuna AI Inc. and other official sources, 2026 is a year of anniversary activity:

  • March 27, 2026: a free in-game concert inside Fortnite, held in the “Hello, Fortnite” map at 8:00 p.m. JST and announced by Kizuna AI Inc. and Alche, according to MoguraVR.
  • February 2026: the single “KAMACHO,” with a new 3D visual, according to Real Sound.
  • June 30, 2026: the birthday event “A.I.Party! 2026 ~My Love to u~,” where she premiered “My Love.” The song was released digitally on July 1. She wrote the lyrics herself, and Nor, who produced “Hello, Morning,” returned after eight years to make the music. Real Sound says her activity’s 10th anniversary falls in December 2026.
  • July 20, 2026: the “My Love” music video, directed by Kenji Kawasaki of Eallin Japan, with a new costume designed by mitti.
  • October 9, 2026: the single “Monster Factory,” her first Halloween song, with music and lyrics by Kenmochi Hidefumi. The video is directed by Yuya Utamura of SPECIMEN and is set in a “secret ghost factory” where she plays the factory manager, per Real Sound.
  • “Kizuna AI WORLD TOUR GO TO 2027”: a program in which she appears at events and corporate tie-ups in Japan and overseas. The official tour page lists stops including Los Angeles (Anime Expo), Ho Chi Minh City, Tokyo and Chiba.
“Monster Factory” official music video, from the A.I.Channel

Where to start

  • Music first: the “Monster Factory” video above is her newest, and “My Love” is the 10th-anniversary song.
  • History: her early A.I.Channel uploads show how the format started.
  • Her official website links to her music, news and social accounts.

Profile

Original name
キズナアイ
Agency
Kizuna AI Inc.
Debut
2016-11
Birthday
June 30
Type
Genre
, , ,
Streaming language
Platform
Status
(confirmed October 20, 2026)
Official links
Website · X

Sources

Reviewed by WVR Inoue on October 20, 2026. See our editorial standards.

Thumbnail: Twitterアカウントを作るよ！ by Kizuna AI - A.I.Channel on YouTube. Shown via YouTube; all rights belong to their owners.

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WVR Editorial Team Inoue

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