Living Inheritance or Digital Alienation ? The Ethical Dilemma and Path Selection of the Inheritance of Intangible Cultural Heritage Digital People

Digital technologies are increasingly used to document, interpret, and disseminate intangible cultural heritage (ICH), and AI-enabled digital humans have emerged as a new medium for its communication and transmission. This study classifies ICH digital humans into three functional types: performance and dissemination, craft-skill replication, and educational assistance. It examines the ethical tensions that arise when the logic of technological reproduction intersects with the people-centred and practice-based character of living heritage transmission. Based on a questionnaire survey conducted between May 10 and June 10, 2026, the study obtained 521 valid responses from participants with different ages, educational backgrounds, and occupations. The questionnaire covered five dimensions: respondent characteristics, perceptions of ICH transmission, awareness and use of ICH digital humans, digital-ethics concerns, and preferences for future governance. The findings point to three interrelated dimensions of potential digital alienation: distortion of cultural content and authenticity through standardised reproduction; structural imbalance in transmission arising from the interaction of technological and commercial pressures; and divergent public evaluations associated with demographic and cognitive differences. In response, the study proposes three pathways: differentiated standards and meaningful participation by ICH bearers; a human-centred human–machine model supported by transparent content review and commercial oversight; and targeted public education that addresses differences in age and educational background. These findings offer empirical insights into the responsible use of digital humans in ICH safeguarding and transmission.