Fans Ask 'Is ChatGPT the Dad?' as Virtual Singer From AI Girl Band Quits Over 'Pregnancy'

An AI girl band in China has triggered a backlash after its creators admitted inventing a pregnancy to explain a virtual singer's departure, prompting fans to ask who the father is and whether the baby would be a robot.

BABYQUEEN announced in October 2026 that member Mity was expecting a child and temporarily leaving the group. The claim quickly attracted attention online, with users questioning how a computer-generated performer could become pregnant.

For context, BABYQUEEN is a virtual pop group whose members exist as AI-generated characters rather than human performers. Its creators initially treated Mity's supposed pregnancy like a genuine entertainment industry announcement, complete with references to maternity leave and recovery.

The explanation fell apart when those behind the project acknowledged that the pregnancy was fictional. They said managing multiple virtual performers had become difficult and that the storyline offered a way to reduce their workload.

What began as an unusual fictional departure soon became a controversy about the treatment of pregnancy as entertainment.

Fans Joke About Robot Babies and Ask Who the Father Is

The controversy began when BABYQUEEN announced that Mity would suspend her entertainment activities because she was pregnant.

According to Chinese media reports, the announcement appeared on 12 October, followed by a statement written from Mity's perspective on 13 October. It described the supposed pregnancy as a personal development requiring time away from performing.

The fictional singer apologised for stepping back and suggested that the decision had followed discussions with the group's management and other members. There was one rather obvious problem. Mity is not a real person.

Her appearance, identity and public persona are artificially generated, making the pregnancy a fictional storyline rather than a biological event. Online users quickly seized on the contradiction.

Some questioned the identity of the supposed father, while others joked about whether the fictional baby would be a robot.

Chinese media outlet 都市快报 documented reactions asking who the father was and whether the child would be robotic. Other commenters suggested that the creators should simply have admitted they wanted to stop managing the character.

The announcement also attracted criticism from people who felt the fictional pregnancy made light of women's reproductive experiences. One commenter quoted by Sixth Tone accused the creators of turning pregnancy and childbirth into a marketing device, arguing that the storyline trivialised experiences faced by real women.

The attention was particularly striking for a virtual group still establishing its identity. According to the South China Morning Post, the controversy attracted more than 78 million views on the Chinese social media platform Weibo.

Creators Admit Pregnancy Plot Was Just a Way To Drop a Character

The creators eventually acknowledged that Mity's pregnancy was not intended to describe anything real. According to Sixth Tone, the people behind BABYQUEEN explained in a subsequently deleted post that they were students who enjoyed K-pop and had struggled with the pressure of maintaining the virtual group.

They also said the project had not generated any money, despite the unexpected publicity surrounding the pregnancy announcement. The fictional maternity leave therefore provided a convenient explanation for removing one member from the group's active lineup.

But the attempted solution created another problem. Instead of quietly reducing the number of characters requiring attention, the creators found themselves defending a storyline that had spread far beyond their original audience.

Their explanation did not end the criticism. Some users argued that an ordinary announcement about reducing the group's activities would have been more appropriate than introducing pregnancy as a dramatic exit.

The creators also reported receiving personal attacks and online harassment as attention intensified. Their account described a hobby project whose sudden exposure had become difficult to manage.

Virtual Pop Idols, Real-World Backlash

Another detail added to the unusual circumstances. Shortly after Mity's pregnancy statement appeared, BABYQUEEN's account promoted music involving the group's remaining members.

The fictional performer was being written out while the broader project continued. The group's official parent account, BABYPVSSY Entertainment, subsequently suggested that Mity could explore acting or maternity-related content creation, according to Sixth Tone.

That possibility raised another question about how far the creators intended to extend the character's fictional life.

Virtual performers can be given careers, relationships and personal histories without experiencing any of them. Their stories depend entirely on decisions made behind the screen.

For BABYQUEEN, however, the immediate challenge was more practical. Its creators had wanted fewer characters to manage, only to find themselves explaining a fictional pregnancy to an unexpectedly large audience.