Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com is revolutionizing the live-streaming industry by introducing an AI host avatar. This groundbreaking development saw the debut of JD.com founder and chairman Richard Liu Qiangdong’s virtual avatar as the host of two live-streaming sessions. Powered by JD.com’s ChatRhino large language model, the avatar replicated Liu’s appearance, voice, accent, and even his hand-waving gestures. Despite primarily reading from a prepared script and not engaging with the online audience, the live-streaming sessions were a tremendous success, garnering over 20 million combined views.
JD.com’s AI-powered virtual streamers now cover more than 4,000 brands, and this initiative has significantly reduced the cost of hosting live-streaming sessions compared to human hosts, with a reduction of 90 percent. Additionally, the virtual hosting technology can answer 70 percent of frequently asked questions during a live-stream, further enhancing its capabilities.
This introduction of Liu’s avatar into the live-streaming landscape is reflective of the growing trend in China to utilize virtual hosts that can conduct round-the-clock sessions. This shift has the potential to disrupt the livelihoods of millions of human live-streamers in the industry. Moreover, JD.com’s campaign with the virtual Liu is expected to redefine how live-streaming campaigns are conducted in China, particularly during the highly anticipated Singles' Day shopping festival later this year.
Compared to last year’s Singles' Day presales campaign led by human live-streamers, JD.com’s use of virtual hosts presents a novel approach. The likes of top influencer Austin Li Jiaqi and actor-singer Allen Lin Yilun spearheaded Alibaba Group Holding’s sessions on Taobao Live. JD.com’s forward-thinking has become evident as they have already applied for trademarks related to Liu’s avatar, indicating their commitment to this innovative technology.
In another move to enhance its live-streaming capabilities, JD.com announced a cash incentive of 1 billion yuan (US$138 million) to drive video content on its platform. This demonstrates the growing influence of live-streaming campaigns in driving sales for e-commerce platforms in China. According to a recent report by the China Netcasting Services Association, 71.2 percent of Chinese netizens purchased goods online after watching short videos or live-streamed content, a significant increase from 42.7 percent in 2022.
JD.com’s foray into AI-powered avatars and the cash incentives to boost video content further solidify their commitment to leveraging innovative technologies to reshape the e-commerce industry. As the live-streaming market segment continues to evolve, these developments will undoubtedly leave an indelible mark on the industry and pave the way for even more advancements in the future.
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