China’s e-commerce giant JD.com is making waves with a futuristic twist: its chairman and CEO Liu Qiangdong will host a livestream shopping event—through an eerily lifelike AI clone! 💻✨ The digital double, powered by JD’s ChatRhino (Yanxi) language model, will debut tonight, sharing insights on food, books, and lifestyle trends. A preview video shows the AI Liu mimicking human gestures, like pinching his fingers, blurring the line between tech and reality.
🚀 Why it matters: Livestream shopping is exploding in China, with over 70% of users hooked on short videos and live sales. JD’s move signals a race to dominate 'content as an ecosystem,' with rivals like Tencent’s WeChat Channels and Meituan rolling out creator incentives (think: up to 30,000 RMB/month!). Even ByteDance’s Douyin (China’s TikTok) faces fresh competition.
📈 The bigger picture: With 1 billion+ online audiovisual users in China, platforms are betting big on immersive, interactive content. AI hosts like Liu’s clone could redefine retail—and how we connect with brands. Next stop: the metaverse? 🌐🕶️
