AI postdoc’s startup reportedly raises RMB 20 million to build a simulated life for AI

A game, not just a chatbot

It has been reported that Qianzhen (谦贞), a Hangzhou startup founded by AI postdoc Wang Jinpeng (王金鹏), has raised RMB 20 million to build Uto (乌托), a game that aims to create simulated, emotionally evolving AI characters. The pitch is simple and provocative: can a game give AI time, space and personality so it feels like a living being rather than a narrow chat bot? Qianzhen’s founders say the answer is yes — and they are betting seed capital on turning that idea into a consumer product.

From Jungian personality models to The Sims for OC creators

Qianzhen’s technical hook is a personality engine called JPAF that reportedly maps Jungian “eight dimensions” (荣格八维) into AI-personality simulation. In Uto users can sculpt faces, set character backstories (OC, Original Character), decorate homes and watch characters earn money, interact and evolve over time. The team emphasizes embodied cues — more than 60 expressions and animations — and persistent memory and MBTI-style behavior so characters change after interactions and events. Early testers are on TapTap and the product is pitched as an “AI version of The Sims” tailored to OC communities.

Research roots, small team, selective partnerships

Qianzhen’s founding team is heavy on research experience: Wang worked in France at CNRS and led group-intelligence projects; co‑founders Li Yuquan (李玉全) and Jia Xinyu (贾新宇) bring NLP, product and game‑project experience. The startup says it has worked with enterprise clients including Baidu (百度), and it has been reported that it explored robot projects with a Yushu‑related team called Kuangwei (旷维). The company scaled from a three‑person founding cell to a 30‑plus development team after realizing the product’s visual and simulation ambitions required deeper investment.

Why now — and what’s next?

Qianzhen’s timing follows the global burst of interest in generative agents after ChatGPT and research demos such as Stanford’s “AI Town.” Against growing geopolitical pressure and export controls that have pushed China to shore up domestic AI stacks, startups are rushing to ship consumer‑facing experiences on top of local models. Qianzhen’s bet is niche but strategic: OC communities are small but intensely engaged, and the team argues that early adopters will sustain long sessions and social growth. Can the emotional life of a virtual character become a mainstream product? For investors and players watching the intersection of games and AI, Uto will be an early test.