AI humans in livestreaming: A game-changer for brands

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This article is brought to you by Retail Technology Review: AI humans in livestreaming: A game-changer for brands.

By Arnold Ma, CEO of Qumin.
 
In recent years, China has emerged as a global leader in the field of AI, constantly pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation. One exciting development from the country’s tech landscape is the use of AI humans to livestream content around the clock. This unique fusion of human creativity and AI efficiency has opened up new possibilities in the world of content creation and entertainment and is reshaping the e-commerce landscape.
 
AI humans work tirelessly 24/7, answering questions and having conversations in multiple languages. And with research showing that the average monthly income for the more traditional ‘human’ livestreaming hosts has decreased by 30 per cent compared to the same period last year, AI human livestreaming looks here to stay.

In this article, Arnold Ma, CEO of Qumin, explores how AI human livestreaming works, its key benefits and how brands across the world learn from this innovative approach.

The rise of AI human livestreaming in China

AI human collaboration for 24/7 livestreaming involves a human presenter interacting with an AI generated virtual host or content. This combination has led to a surge in popularity for livestreaming platforms in China, such as Bilibili and Kuaishou. And many of the streaming channels on popular e-commerce platforms like Taobao and JD feature AI-generated streamers.
 
What’s more, besides smaller startups like Silicon Intelligence and Xiaoice, major Chinese tech players are testing out AI-generated livestreams – Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, and JD all launched some variations of the same services this year, allowing brands on their platforms to generate their own AI streamers.

Key components of AI human livestreaming

AI-powered virtual hosts: The heart of AI human livestreaming lies in the virtual hosts. These AI-generated characters are programmed to interact with the human presenters, engage with the audience, and even express emotions. They use machine learning to adapt to various situations and can facilitate real-time conversation, making the livestream more engaging and dynamic.
 
Content generation: AI algorithms assist in content generation, helping presenters find topics, generate visual effects, and even suggest responses to user comments. This not only reduces the workload on human presenters but also ensures consistent and high-quality content throughout the broadcast.
  
Audience engagement: With the help of AI, livestreaming platforms can analyse audience preferences, track viewer behaviour, and make content recommendations in real-time. This personalisation enhances the viewer experience and keeps them engaged for longer periods.

Key benefits

Cost efficiency

To create a ‘customised’ avatar based on real-life images in China, a basic 1080p version only costs £900 a year. And a 4K advanced version is just a bit more expensive: £3,400. In contrast, a traditional live-streaming room costs around £20,000 – £30,000 a month when taking into account details such as labour, equipment, and location.

Efficiency and scalability

Not only are AI humans cost effective, but they also provide a level of efficiency that traditional livestreamers can’t match. AI human collaboration allows for the efficient creation and delivery of content 24/7, which can be challenging for human-only efforts. This approach can be particularly beneficial for global organisations looking to maintain a constant online presence.

Personalisation and user experience

AI can analyse user behavior and preferences in real-time, tailoring content and interactions to individual viewers. This personalisation enhances the viewer experience, leading to higher customer engagement and satisfaction.

Interactivity and content generation 

By combining AI and human interactions, livestreams become more interactive. AI can handle user comments and questions, while human presenters can focus on delivering engaging and creative content.
 
AI can help generate and curate content quickly. For example, chatbots can provide real-time updates or suggest relevant products to viewers during livestreams.

24/7 availability and consistency

One of the most apparent benefits is the ability to provide round-the-clock content. With AI-powered virtual hosts and chatbots handling repetitive tasks, human presenters can take breaks without disrupting the livestream, ensuring a continuous online presence.
 
AI also ensures a consistent quality of content and interactions, reducing the risk of human errors. 

Simple creation

Last but not least, creating a digital host has become remarkably accessible and simple, thanks to the advancements in AI technology. The process can be as straightforward as follows:

  1. Generate the Script: AI models like ChatGPT can be used to generate the script for the digital host. These models are capable of creating natural-sounding, coherent dialogues, which form the basis of the host’s interactions with the audience
  2. Copy and paste to the app: The script can then be copied and pasted into the app or platform where the brand intends to use the digital host. 
  3. Pick a pre-made avatar: To bring the digital host to life, brands can choose from a variety of pre-made avatars which can be customised to align with the persona and style they want for their host.

A more advanced approach

For brands looking for a more advanced and dynamic approach to digital host creation, they should consider elements implementing AI models that can engage in real-time conversations with users, rather than using pre-generated scripts. For instance, users can interact with OpenAI’s ChatGPT API to enable dynamic interactions with your digital host, making it more responsive and engaging.
 
Brands can also incorporate machine learning techniques to allow their digital host to adapt and improve its responses over time based on user interactions. They can also create custom avatars using 3D modeling and animation software, and integrate voice recognition and synthesis technology to enable their digital host to have voice-based interactions, for a more immersive experience.

What’s next?

In the long-term, the trend looks set to evolve into two distinct types of livestreaming, revolutionising ecommerce marketing strategies: 

1. Mass livestreaming

The laborious mass livestream events that set out to reach as large an audience as possible for as long as possible – invariably those with a ‘buy, buy, buy!’ mentality, selling products under £60 – will be replaced by AI. This is because it will remove the need to switch hosts every five hours.  

2. One to one consultations 

AI will also replace the shorter livestream appointments with just one host serving one customer. During these events, the host answers specific questions about their products to ensure a bespoke shopping experience – e.g. a luxury brand’s personal assistant livestream. 

Final thoughts

China’s pioneering use of AI human collaboration for 24/7 livestreaming offers valuable lessons for global brands. As the world continues to explore the potential of AI human collaboration, we’re sure to see an evolution in the way brands create and deliver content, and the way in which customers consume and interact with it.

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