AI live-streamers appeared online to sell products during the just-ended Double 11 global shopping festival, making almost as much of a contribution to sales as their human counterparts, Xinhua News Agency reported on Nov. 14.

(Photo/pixabay.com)

An AI live-streamer is a virtual persona that uses a computer-generated voice and 3D graphics to perform. They are hi-tech products that look almost the same as a real person in terms of appearance, expression, action and emotion. They are also very versatile, and able to introduce products, dance, rap, and interact with online viewers in real time.

AI live-streamers, as the name suggests, are driven by artificial intelligence, and serve as an alternative to real live-stream hosts. AI live-streamers’ costs are lower than those of real live-stream hosts, and can go online at any time.

They have been adopted by a number of well-known international brands such as Philips, L'Oréal, Unilever, and L'OCCITANE as well as domestic snack company Three Squirrels.

In Three Squirrels’ case, the AI live-streamer is a cute short-haired “girl” who can explain in detail the features, taste and discounts for all 600 and more products, including nuts and snacks, whenever the real live-streamer is off duty.

“With the help of an AI live-streamer, our company scored a sales volume of over 8 million yuan (about $1.2 million) through live-streaming in the first three days of November on Alibaba’s e-commerce platform Tmall,” said Liu Shucai from the snack company, adding that this is almost equivalent to the amount brought by a real live-streamer.