Doubao AI Redefines Spring Festival Traditions

The fireworks weren't the only thing lighting up Chinese New Year's Eve in 2026. This year's Spring Festival Gala shattered expectations by seamlessly weaving artificial intelligence into every aspect of the celebration, from personalized greetings to breathtaking stage performances.

Interactive Celebrations Go Viral

When the clock struck midnight, Doubao-powered features had already facilitated 1.9 billion interactions - equivalent to nearly every Chinese citizen participating multiple times. The "Toutiao New Year" campaign became an instant hit, helping users create:

• Over 50 million AI-generated profile pictures featuring traditional Horse Year motifs
• More than 100 million personalized New Year greetings shared among friends and family

The numbers tell only part of the story. "We wanted technology to enhance tradition, not replace it," explained Li Wei, ByteDance's project lead. "Seeing grandparents and grandchildren creating AI art together - that's when we knew we'd succeeded."

Behind the Scenes: Tech That Kept Up With Demand

The real test came at 9:46 PM, when hosts announced the second interactive segment. Systems handled:

• A computing peak processing 63.3 billion tokens per minute
• Simultaneous requests from tens of millions of devices nationwide
• Zero reported outages during critical moments

ByteDance's Huoshan Engine proved crucial in maintaining stability. Their secret? "We treated computing power like dumpling dough," joked CTO Zhang Ming. "You need to knead and stretch resources flexibly to serve everyone at once."

When Tradition Meets Cutting-Edge Visuals

The real showstopper was how AI transformed stage performances:

In Riding the Wind Song, algorithms meticulously recreated brushstrokes from classic ink paintings, bringing galloping horses to life with unprecedented fluidity.

The Celebrating the Flower Goddess segment used Seedance 2.0 technology to craft unique visual landscapes for each performer - twelve distinct floral worlds unfolding in perfect sync with dancers.

"Traditionalists feared technology might overshadow artistry," noted Peking University media professor Chen Ying. "Instead, we saw each enhancing the other - digital precision amplifying human expression."

Key Points:

• Record engagement: 1.9 billion AI interactions during single broadcast
• Personal touch: Over 150 million user-generated creations
• Tech milestone: Processing peaks of 63.3 billion tokens/minute
• Artistic fusion: AI-enhanced performances honored traditional aesthetics
• Cultural impact: Made advanced tech accessible across generations