Digital humans show future of livestreaming e-commerce

What happens when a livestreaming session is hosted by a digital human who can interact with viewers in real time? Last month, I watched a livestreaming show presided over by the virtual avatar of Luo Yonghao, founder of smartphone maker Smartisan Technology and a key online opinion leader on Chinese social media platforms.

Throughout the live broadcast lasting over six hours, Luo's digital human along with a cohosting avatar garnered more than 13 million views, generating over 55 million yuan ($7.7 million) in gross merchandise value, or GMV.

In key product categories such as consumer electronics and food, order volumes surpassed Luo's real-person livestream debut on the same platform earlier in May.