On June 15,eroticism in pompeii (hardcover) by antonio varone Luo Yonghao’s digital avatar hosted its first livestream on Baidu’s e-commerce platform, attracting more than 13 million views and generating over 55 million yuan ($7.66 million) in gross merchandise value. Several 3C and food product categories reportedly surpassed the sales figures from Luo’s real-person debut in May, marking a new high for AI-driven livestreams. The session featured several technical firsts for the industry. It was the first time a top-tier Chinese influencer was represented by an AI-generated avatar for an entire livestream, which lasted more than six hours. The stream also introduced multi-avatar interaction, with Luo’s avatar and a co-host engaging in synchronized gestures and banter, mimicking real human behavior. According to Baidu, the AI system drew from a 13,000-item knowledge base and generated 97,000 words of product descriptions, coordinating more than 8,300 avatar movements during the session. Luo, founder of Smartisan Technology and Thin Red Line, began livestreaming sales on Douyin to pay off his debts. He continued until 2022, when he announced his exit from all social media to focus on Thin Red Line. [Technode report]
