{
  "schema_version": "anicca.ai-monk-avatar-database.v1",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-21",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0 for Anicca-authored summaries; third-party content, marks, and profile data remain with their owners.",
  "scope": "A curated starter set of public AI monk avatar profiles. This is not a complete census of social accounts.",
  "methodology": [
    "Include a synthetic monk persona only when a platform/creator disclosure or credible reporting supports that classification. Keep screenshot-only cases marked unverified.",
    "Do not merge accounts on similar names alone. Unknown handles, creators, launch dates, and product URLs remain null with a reason.",
    "Store platform, source URL, capture date, and metric beside each number. Instagram followers, YouTube subscribers, views, seller counters, creator statements, orders, and net profit are different measures.",
    "Summarize video structure without storing full scripts, captions, or downloaded media. Video URLs point to the original platform.",
    "User-provided screenshots are identified as such; their calendar capture date is unknown unless the screenshot itself shows it."
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "heygen-yangmun-case",
      "title": "Yang Mun customer story",
      "url": "https://www.heygen.com/ja-jp/customer-stories/yangmun",
      "source_type": "vendor-hosted customer story",
      "published_at": null,
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "Identifies Yang Mun as an AI character created by Shalev Hani and reports creator statements about production time and posting frequency. These are customer-story claims, not an independent audit."
    },
    {
      "id": "columbia-yangmun-report",
      "title": "Millions found comfort in a Buddhist monk, but he was never real",
      "url": "https://columbianewsservice.com/2026/03/24/millions-found-comfort-in-a-buddhist-monk-but-he-was-never-real/",
      "source_type": "independent reporting",
      "published_at": "2026-03-24",
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "Identifies Yang Mun as AI-generated and names Shalev Hani as creator. The revenue and acquisition-offer figures are attributed to Hani, not audited results."
    },
    {
      "id": "virtual-humans-yangmun-profile",
      "title": "Who is Yang Mun? The AI-Generated Wellness Guru With 2.6M Followers",
      "url": "https://virtualhumans.org/article/who-is-yang-mun-the-ai-generated-wellness-guru-with-2-6m-followers",
      "source_type": "industry profile reporting creator claims",
      "published_at": "2026-01-28",
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "Reports creator claims about audience, views, tools, revenue, and profit. The article does not audit sales or profit."
    },
    {
      "id": "yangmun-journey-store",
      "title": "Yang Mun 30-Day Healing Journey",
      "url": "https://www.yang-mun.com/pages/journey",
      "source_type": "first-party seller page",
      "published_at": null,
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "Displays a $49.99 journey, a $59.99 collection with three eBooks, and seller-displayed counters. These are not order-level records."
    },
    {
      "id": "yangmun-home",
      "title": "Yang Mun official website",
      "url": "https://www.yang-mun.com/",
      "source_type": "first-party seller page",
      "published_at": null,
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "Displays '5 million with Yang Mun' and a 20,000+ reader counter without defining the platform mix or audit method."
    },
    {
      "id": "yangmun-youtube-channel",
      "title": "Yang Mun YouTube channel",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/@Yangmunv2",
      "source_type": "first-party platform profile",
      "published_at": null,
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "Public page readback displayed approximately 159,000 subscribers and 172 videos."
    },
    {
      "id": "yangmun-instagram",
      "title": "Yang Mun Instagram profile",
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/yangmunus/",
      "source_type": "first-party platform profile",
      "published_at": null,
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "Profile handle is also linked in public third-party coverage; counts vary by source date."
    },
    {
      "id": "yangmun-shalev-x",
      "title": "Shalev Hani public X profile",
      "url": "https://x.com/shalevhvs",
      "source_type": "creator profile",
      "published_at": null,
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "Creator account, not an account for the Yang Mun persona. The profile links to a creator-written AI monk earnings article."
    },
    {
      "id": "yangmun-youtube-short-motivation",
      "title": "Words of Motivation from Yang Mun",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Er2Ig4GM7z0",
      "source_type": "first-party video; metadata collected with YT-DLP",
      "published_at": "2025-11-29",
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "YT-DLP reported 521,549 views and 65 seconds at capture. This clip was downloaded temporarily and observed locally; no media or transcript is included here."
    },
    {
      "id": "yangmun-youtube-short-health",
      "title": "1minute of Yang Mun Wisdom",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Qdv6S7HonSM",
      "source_type": "first-party video; metadata/captions collected with YT-DLP",
      "published_at": "2025-11-25",
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "YT-DLP reported 1,102,388 views and 78 seconds at capture. The script includes unverified health claims; do not treat or republish those claims as medical advice. Media was downloaded temporarily and is not included."
    },
    {
      "id": "yangmun-youtube-short-health-metadata",
      "title": "You’re Drinking Water the WRONG Way",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/j8WRhcQvzRM",
      "source_type": "first-party video; YT-DLP metadata only",
      "published_at": null,
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "The public playlist metadata showed roughly 12M views. The video was not downloaded or fact-checked; this is a reach snapshot, not a sales result or endorsed health claim."
    },
    {
      "id": "maldita-2026-07-10",
      "title": "Ni Manuel, ni Paco del Campo, ni Sor Catalina son reales: la red de perfiles de IA que vende libros",
      "url": "https://maldita.es/investigaciones/20260710/cuentas-ia-instagram-facebook-salud-libros/",
      "source_type": "independent investigation",
      "published_at": "2026-07-10",
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "Reports 16 AI-generated Facebook/Instagram profiles, 3.5M combined followers, and 70.5M views across the most viral videos. It describes Shaolin-style profiles Leo Chen and SifuChen California, including book/guide lead paths. It does not establish which avatar appeared first."
    },
    {
      "id": "maldita-2026-07-27",
      "title": "250 AI-generated Instagram profiles provide health advice in seven languages",
      "url": "https://maldita.es/investigaciones/20260727/250-ai-health-instagram-accounts/",
      "source_type": "independent investigation with stated methodology",
      "published_at": "2026-07-27",
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "The investigation says its account data was collected July 20–21, 2026: 250 AI-generated health profiles, 45,600+ posts, 53.7M+ followers, and 224 visible product URLs. Its 82-account 'ancestral wisdom' group includes more than monk personas; it is not a census of AI monk avatars."
    },
    {
      "id": "mingsan-instagram",
      "title": "Ming San Instagram profile",
      "url": "https://www.instagram.com/mingsanhealing/",
      "source_type": "first-party platform profile",
      "published_at": null,
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "Maldita identifies the profile as a monk-like AI health account. AvatarFactory says the AI origin is not established publicly, so provenance remains reported/conflicting."
    },
    {
      "id": "avatarfactory-yangmun",
      "title": "Yang Mun profile and funnel teardown",
      "url": "https://avatarfactory.io/ai-influencers/yang-mun",
      "source_type": "commercial directory and product marketing",
      "published_at": null,
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "Useful for discovering public account/video references; audience, 400M views, revenue, and production figures are not independently audited. The page promotes AvatarFactory."
    },
    {
      "id": "avatarfactory-ming-san",
      "title": "Ming San profile",
      "url": "https://avatarfactory.io/ai-influencers/ming-san",
      "source_type": "commercial directory and product marketing",
      "published_at": null,
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "The profile says Ming San's AI origin is not established publicly and reports its own scanner snapshots. Its counts differ across the profile summary and scan table."
    },
    {
      "id": "user-screenshot-yangmun-youtube",
      "title": "User-supplied Yang Mun YouTube screenshot",
      "url": null,
      "source_type": "user-provided screenshot",
      "published_at": null,
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "Shows the YouTube channel join date as 2025-11-04 and 18,147,274 channel views; the screenshot's calendar capture date is not visible."
    },
    {
      "id": "user-screenshot-mingsan-instagram",
      "title": "User-supplied Ming San Instagram screenshot",
      "url": null,
      "source_type": "user-provided screenshot",
      "published_at": null,
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "Shows @mingsanhealing, approximately 1.37M followers, and a beetroot-product link. The screenshot date and affiliate relationship are unknown."
    },
    {
      "id": "user-screenshot-monjechen-instagram",
      "title": "User-supplied monjechen Instagram screenshot",
      "url": null,
      "source_type": "user-provided screenshot",
      "published_at": null,
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "Shows an 'AI-generated profile' label, 'Yan Chen | Sabiduría sanadora', approximately 1.34M followers, 584 posts, and a cropped product URL. Calendar capture date and full product URL are not visible."
    },
    {
      "id": "growwstacks-ai-avatar-workflow",
      "title": "This AI Factory Creates AI Avatar Instagram Videos Daily",
      "url": "https://growwstacks.com/blog/ai-factory-creates-ai-avatar-instagram-videos-daily-n8n-automation",
      "source_type": "automation vendor marketing article",
      "published_at": "2026-01-14",
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "Describes an Airtable → LLM script → HeyGen → captioning → scheduler workflow. Its time-savings, price, pageview, and break-even figures are publisher claims, not independently measured results."
    },
    {
      "id": "reddit-aituber-promotion",
      "title": "An AI Monk Made $350K — How to create AI Avatar Videos",
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/ReelFarmer/comments/1r2r6qc/an_ai_monk_made_350k_how_to_create_ai_avatar/",
      "source_type": "tool-promotional Reddit post",
      "published_at": null,
      "checked_at": "2026-10-21",
      "notes": "The author promotes aituber.app and attributes the $350K claim to the account owner; commenters ask for evidence. It is not treated as proof of earnings."
    }
  ],
  "accounts": [
    {
      "id": "yang-mun",
      "display_name": "Yang Mun",
      "persona_type": "AI-generated monk avatar",
      "ai_status": "confirmed",
      "ai_evidence": [
        { "source_id": "heygen-yangmun-case", "summary": "HeyGen identifies Yang Mun as an AI character created by Shalev Hani." },
        { "source_id": "columbia-yangmun-report", "summary": "Columbia News Service describes the character as AI-generated and names Shalev Hani as creator." }
      ],
      "creator": { "name": "Shalev Hani", "public_profile_url": "https://x.com/shalevhvs", "relationship": "Creator, not an avatar account" },
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.heygen.com/ja-jp/customer-stories/yangmun",
        "https://columbianewsservice.com/2026/03/24/millions-found-comfort-in-a-buddhist-monk-but-he-was-never-real/",
        "https://virtualhumans.org/article/who-is-yang-mun-the-ai-generated-wellness-guru-with-2-6m-followers",
        "https://www.yang-mun.com/pages/journey",
        "https://www.yang-mun.com/",
        "https://www.youtube.com/@Yangmunv2",
        "https://www.instagram.com/yangmunus/",
        "https://x.com/shalevhvs",
        "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Er2Ig4GM7z0",
        "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Qdv6S7HonSM",
        "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/j8WRhcQvzRM"
      ],
      "platforms": [
        {
          "platform": "Instagram",
          "handle": "yangmunus",
          "profile_url": "https://www.instagram.com/yangmunus/",
          "snapshots": [
            { "value": 2500000, "metric": "followers", "as_of": "2026-03-24", "source_id": "columbia-yangmun-report", "status": "reported_public_count" }
          ]
        },
        {
          "platform": "YouTube",
          "handle": "Yangmunv2",
          "profile_url": "https://www.youtube.com/@Yangmunv2",
          "snapshots": [
            { "value": 159000, "metric": "subscribers", "as_of": "2026-10-21", "source_id": "yangmun-youtube-channel", "status": "public_page_readback_rounded" },
            { "value": 172, "metric": "videos", "as_of": "2026-10-21", "source_id": "yangmun-youtube-channel", "status": "public_page_readback" },
            { "value": 18147274, "metric": "channel_views", "as_of": null, "source_id": "user-screenshot-yangmun-youtube", "status": "screenshot_snapshot_date_unknown" }
          ]
        },
        {
          "platform": "TikTok",
          "handle": null,
          "profile_url": null,
          "snapshots": [],
          "unknown_reason": "Virtual Humans reports multiple accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers combined but does not identify exact handles."
        }
      ],
      "offers": [
        { "type": "guided digital program", "name": "30-Day Healing Journey", "price": 49.99, "currency": "USD", "source_id": "yangmun-journey-store", "status": "displayed_price_not_order_data" },
        { "type": "eBook bundle", "name": "Complete Collection with three eBooks", "price": 59.99, "currency": "USD", "source_id": "yangmun-journey-store", "status": "displayed_price_not_order_data" }
      ],
      "seller_counters": [
        { "value": "30,000+", "metric": "readers/books-sold counter", "source_id": "yangmun-journey-store", "status": "seller_displayed_not_audited" },
        { "value": "20,000+", "metric": "readers counter", "source_id": "yangmun-home", "status": "seller_displayed_definition_unclear" },
        { "value": "5 million", "metric": "audience counter", "source_id": "yangmun-home", "status": "seller_displayed_platform_mix_unclear" }
      ],
      "creator_claims": [
        { "claim": "More than $300,000 in revenue since launch and a $325,000 acquisition offer", "source_id": "columbia-yangmun-report", "status": "creator_statement_reported_by_independent_outlet_not_audited" },
        { "claim": "More than $300,000 in profit within 90 days; the profile also cites a dashboard above $213,000 gross revenue over three months", "source_id": "virtual-humans-yangmun-profile", "status": "creator_statement_reported_by_industry_profile_not_audited" }
      ],
      "creative_samples": [
        { "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Er2Ig4GM7z0", "title": "Words of Motivation from Yang Mun", "duration_seconds": 65, "uploaded_at": "2025-11-29", "views": 521549, "views_captured_at": "2026-10-21", "source_id": "yangmun-youtube-short-motivation", "structure_summary": "One continuous, front-facing temple shot; future-oriented reassurance, concrete life imagery, then a repeatable morning/night reflection invitation. No paid product CTA was visible in this sample.", "media_status": "temporary_analysis_only_official_embed_only" },
        { "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Qdv6S7HonSM", "title": "1minute of Yang Mun Wisdom", "duration_seconds": 78, "uploaded_at": "2025-11-25", "views": 1102388, "views_captured_at": "2026-10-21", "source_id": "yangmun-youtube-short-health", "structure_summary": "A symptom-led hook moves into an unverified traditional-medicine explanation and emotional reframe. This is a health-claim risk example, not an endorsed claim.", "media_status": "temporary_analysis_only_official_embed_only" },
        { "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/j8WRhcQvzRM", "title": "You’re Drinking Water the WRONG Way", "duration_seconds": null, "uploaded_at": null, "views": 12000000, "views_captured_at": "2026-10-21", "source_id": "yangmun-youtube-short-health-metadata", "structure_summary": "Metadata-only high-reach health-claim example. Not downloaded or fact-checked; do not treat as medical guidance.", "media_status": "metadata_only_official_link_only" }
      ],
      "unknowns": [
        "Exact TikTok handles and per-account audience counts.",
        "Paid orders, product mix, refunds, fees, ad spend, creator net profit, and revenue by creative.",
        "The self-reported revenue/profit claims do not reconcile to an audited statement."
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "ming-san",
      "display_name": "Ming San | Healing Guide",
      "persona_type": "Monk-like wellness avatar",
      "ai_status": "reported",
      "ai_evidence": [
        { "source_id": "maldita-2026-07-27", "summary": "Maldita includes mingsanhealing in its AI-generated health-account investigation and describes a monk-like persona." },
        { "source_id": "avatarfactory-ming-san", "summary": "AvatarFactory says the account's AI origin is not established publicly; its directory conflicts with Maldita's classification." }
      ],
      "creator": { "name": null, "relationship": "Unknown" },
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.instagram.com/mingsanhealing/",
        "https://maldita.es/investigaciones/20260727/250-ai-health-instagram-accounts/",
        "https://avatarfactory.io/ai-influencers/ming-san",
        "https://beraviahealth.com/products/beetroot",
        "https://mvau.lt/media/a5de6087-bd3b-424c-b3a3-e08d4805c2f3"
      ],
      "platforms": [
        {
          "platform": "Instagram",
          "handle": "mingsanhealing",
          "profile_url": "https://www.instagram.com/mingsanhealing/",
          "snapshots": [
            { "value": 1200000, "metric": "followers", "as_of": "2026-07-20/21", "source_id": "maldita-2026-07-27", "status": "investigation_snapshot" },
            { "value": 1370000, "metric": "followers", "as_of": null, "source_id": "user-screenshot-mingsan-instagram", "status": "screenshot_snapshot_date_unknown" }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "offers": [
        { "type": "external wellness product link", "url": "https://beraviahealth.com/products/beetroot", "source_id": "user-screenshot-mingsan-instagram", "status": "link_visible_in_supplied_screenshot_commission_and_sales_unknown" }
      ],
      "seller_counters": [],
      "creator_claims": [],
      "creative_samples": [
        { "url": "https://mvau.lt/media/a5de6087-bd3b-424c-b3a3-e08d4805c2f3", "title": "Cabbage-in-socks health-remedy clip referenced by Maldita", "duration_seconds": null, "uploaded_at": null, "views": 2200000, "views_captured_at": "2026-07-20/21", "source_id": "maldita-2026-07-27", "structure_summary": "The investigation reports a remedy claim delivered through an elderly monk-like persona; the claim is not medical advice and the report identifies it as unsupported.", "media_status": "source_report_link_only_not_rehosted" }
      ],
      "unknowns": [
        "The 1.2M, 1.3M, and screenshot 1.37M counts are different dated/source snapshots, not a reconciled current count.",
        "Affiliate status, commission, paid units, and net revenue are unknown."
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "sifuchen-california",
      "display_name": "SifuChen California",
      "persona_type": "Shaolin-style AI health avatar",
      "ai_status": "reported",
      "ai_evidence": [
        { "source_id": "maldita-2026-07-10", "summary": "Maldita identifies the portrayed man as AI-created and includes the profile in its report on synthetic accounts." }
      ],
      "creator": { "name": null, "relationship": "Unknown" },
      "source_urls": [
        "https://archive.li/CZww4",
        "https://maldita.es/investigaciones/20260710/cuentas-ia-instagram-facebook-salud-libros/"
      ],
      "platforms": [
        { "platform": "Instagram", "handle": null, "profile_url": "https://archive.li/CZww4", "snapshots": [], "unknown_reason": "The investigation links an archived profile but does not establish the live handle or a per-account follower count." }
      ],
      "offers": [
        { "type": "digital guide", "name": "130 Natural Remedies of the Shaolin Temple", "price": 16.45, "currency": "EUR", "source_id": "maldita-2026-07-10", "status": "reported_list_price_not_sales_data" }
      ],
      "seller_counters": [],
      "creator_claims": [],
      "creative_samples": [
        { "url": "https://archive.li/CZww4", "title": "Shaolin-style profile and guide path", "duration_seconds": null, "uploaded_at": null, "views": null, "views_captured_at": null, "source_id": "maldita-2026-07-10", "structure_summary": "The report describes a monk-like figure in an outdoor scene and a guide CTA placed in a profile highlight. It is an observed offer path, not verified sales.", "media_status": "archive_link_only" }
      ],
      "unknowns": ["Exact live Instagram handle, current followers, sales, refunds, and revenue."]
    },
    {
      "id": "leo-chen",
      "display_name": "Leo Chen",
      "persona_type": "Reported Shaolin-style AI monk avatar",
      "ai_status": "reported",
      "ai_evidence": [
        { "source_id": "maldita-2026-07-10", "summary": "Maldita describes AI-like visual artifacts in a video attributed to Leo Chen and includes the profile in its AI-account investigation; the exact handle is not linked in the article." }
      ],
      "creator": { "name": null, "relationship": "Unknown" },
      "source_urls": [
        "https://maldita.es/investigaciones/20260710/cuentas-ia-instagram-facebook-salud-libros/"
      ],
      "platforms": [
        { "platform": "Instagram", "handle": null, "profile_url": null, "snapshots": [], "unknown_reason": "The investigative article gives a display name but no verified handle or profile URL." }
      ],
      "offers": [
        { "type": "comment-to-DM book lead magnet", "name": "Chinese Natural Healing book/PDF", "price": null, "currency": null, "source_id": "maldita-2026-07-10", "status": "reported_offer_path_price_and_sales_unknown" }
      ],
      "seller_counters": [],
      "creator_claims": [],
      "creative_samples": [
        { "url": "https://maldita.es/investigaciones/20260710/cuentas-ia-instagram-facebook-salud-libros/", "title": "Leo Chen video and comment-to-book CTA described by Maldita", "duration_seconds": null, "uploaded_at": null, "views": 2200000, "views_captured_at": "2026-07-10", "source_id": "maldita-2026-07-10", "structure_summary": "The report describes a health-remedy hook, visual inconsistencies, and a comment-to-DM request for a book. It is not evidence of paid orders.", "media_status": "article_reference_only" }
      ],
      "unknowns": ["Exact handle, account owner, product price, and whether the comment lead converted to paid orders."]
    },
    {
      "id": "yan-chen-monjechen",
      "display_name": "Yan Chen | Sabiduría sanadora",
      "persona_type": "AI-labelled monk-like healing avatar",
      "ai_status": "unverified",
      "ai_evidence": [
        { "source_id": "user-screenshot-monjechen-instagram", "summary": "The supplied screenshot displays an 'AI-generated profile' label. The profile label was not independently read back in this research run." }
      ],
      "creator": { "name": null, "relationship": "Unknown" },
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.instagram.com/monjechen/"
      ],
      "platforms": [
        {
          "platform": "Instagram",
          "handle": "monjechen",
          "profile_url": "https://www.instagram.com/monjechen/",
          "snapshots": [
            { "value": 1340000, "metric": "followers", "as_of": null, "source_id": "user-screenshot-monjechen-instagram", "status": "screenshot_snapshot_date_unknown" },
            { "value": 584, "metric": "posts", "as_of": null, "source_id": "user-screenshot-monjechen-instagram", "status": "screenshot_snapshot_date_unknown" }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "offers": [
        { "type": "external book/product link", "name": null, "url": null, "source_id": "user-screenshot-monjechen-instagram", "status": "link_visible_but_cropped_in_screenshot_full_target_unverified" }
      ],
      "seller_counters": [],
      "creator_claims": [],
      "creative_samples": [],
      "unknowns": ["Calendar capture date, full product URL, creator identity, and any match with the 'Monk Chen' name in Maldita's investigation headline."]
    }
  ]
}