It has been developed by Alibaba’s global research arm DAMO Academy, and works using cloud technology and artificial intelligence (AI).

Dong Dong has a human appearance and can answer questions using a "natural human voice" and display different emotions and gestures.

It can also respond during live streaming shows.

"We developed Dong Dong with the hope that the cloud-based virtual influencer can create better engagement with the younger, digital natives in an exciting and natural way," said Alibaba’s virtual human and intelligent customer service leader Xiaolong Li.

"Our ambition is to use cloud technology to give the Olympic Winter Games a digital uplift," he added.

To develop Dong Dong, which means winter in Chinese, Alibaba built a special cloud-based artificial intelligence model, which uses "Text-to-Speech" technology to synthesise human voices.

They also used three dimensional innovation to create realistic facial expressions and natural body movements.

They have used multimodal algorithms known as natural language processing, emotional speech synthesis and computer vision on the cloud.

During her dedicated livestreaming shows, Dong Dong can respond to questions using a natural human voice and display different emotions and gestures.

The digital persona can also be used to promote Olympic merchandise which can be bought in China on Tmall, the online platform run by Alibaba.

Developers say Dong Dong is "smart" enough to take part in natural human conversations. 

"In the future, we will push technology boundaries even further to create an enthralling mixed reality," added Li. 

"Digital personas or virtual influencers will find new ways to engage with their audience through immersive experiences or a metaverse-style setting, whether during large-scale, global sports events like the Olympic Games, virtual conferences or 3D exhibition tours."