E-Commerce Giant Embraces AI While Keeping Human Touch

Jiaoge Pengyou Holding (01917.HK) marked its sixth anniversary with a bold push into artificial intelligence, revealing how technology is transforming its operations while preserving the irreplaceable human elements of online retail.

The Numbers Behind the Strategy

The company reported impressive 2025 results with gross merchandise value reaching 16.02 billion yuan - a solid 6.23% year-over-year increase. This financial stability has given the firm room to pursue its vision of becoming a "technology-driven online retailer."

"We're not just throwing money at AI because it's trendy," explains a company spokesperson. "Every investment is carefully targeted to solve specific business challenges while maintaining what makes our platform special."

Where Machines Excel (And Where Humans Still Rule)

Through its wholly-owned AI subsidiary Mandask, Jiaoge Pengyou has automated the processing of 5 million product listings in its "Pengyou Cloud" system. Human employees now focus on higher-value tasks like rights verification and quality review - a division of labor that's boosted supply chain efficiency by nearly 40%.

The company has identified three key areas where AI delivers the most impact:

• Demand prediction: Analyzing mountains of consumer data to anticipate shopping trends
• Content generation: Creating product descriptions and marketing materials at scale
• Audience targeting: Matching customers with products they'll love (sometimes before they know it themselves)

Yet some aspects of e-commerce remain firmly in human hands. "Try getting an AI to genuinely empathize with a customer's frustration or share authentic excitement about a product," says CEO Cui Dongsheng. "That human connection still drives purchases more than any algorithm."

The Future: Augmented, Not Automated

As live-stream commerce enters what industry watchers call the "rational prosperity" phase, Jiaoge Pengyou's approach represents a middle path - using AI to handle repetitive tasks while empowering human sellers to focus on relationship-building.

The company's digital human avatars have already reduced celebrity endorsement costs by nearly half. But rather than replacing hosts entirely, these virtual influencers work alongside their flesh-and-blood counterparts - handling routine interactions while humans tackle complex sales scenarios.

Key Points:

• Annual GMV reached 16.02 billion yuan in 2025 (6.23% YoY growth)
• 5 million product listings now processed by AI with human oversight
• Three core AI focus areas: demand prediction, content creation, audience targeting
• Human sellers remain crucial for emotional connection and trust-building
• Digital avatars reduce costs but complement rather than replace live hosts