Live streams were already huge in Asia before the pandemic, but last year’s success in this space has been phenomenal. For instance, Shopee saw a 99% growth in live selling in 2020 globally, whilst on Twitch, people watched 1.65 billion hours of content in only two months of lockdown. Furthermore, in January 2020, Taobao Live, Alibaba’s live streaming platform, recorded a 110% increase in its sellers’ live sessions on its platform, in comparison with the same period the previous year. These trends demonstrate how live streaming is increasingly becoming mainstream with big and small companies jumping the bandwagon to reach out to new consumers and engage existing audiences.
Given the popularity of live streaming, there is an obvious demand for platforms that enable it.
“Many aspiring and beginner live streamers have common challenges with growing their audience and sales. We use conversational AI to provide such live streamers with an AI sidekick, a virtual mentor who can help guide them through the successful streaming session. It’s kind of a wingman for streamers,” says Maxim Makatchev, the CEO of Osaka-based susuROBO, Inc.
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susuROBO provides users with a no-code conversational AI platform, which is helpful for beginner live streamers and has a wide range of use cases across various industries. Founded by Maxim Makatchev, Ryo Chikada, and Amir Harati, susuROBO is now looking to expand and establish a presence in Southeast Asia through the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO).
“Our focus is on achieving engaging, empathetic conversation with users through the use of dialects and expression of personality through both verbal and non-verbal behaviours. We believe that such customer experiences will be especially important for the communities of Southeast Asia that include a great variety of cultures and demographics,” shares Maxim Makatchev, CEO of susuROBO who has a PhD in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University.
susuROBO’s conversational AI no-code development platform is used in a wide range of applications, such as AI live streamers, outpatient care avatars, and voice-enabled devices for the elderly.
A keen focus on Southeast Asia
Live streaming and elderly care may seem to have little in common, but according to susuROBO, they have one underlying core issue: conversation.
“Whether we sell a product to thousands of viewers via livestream, or ask an elderly person about their day via a smart speaker, we are making a conversation. A good conversational AI platform can serve both of these diverse domains.”
According to WHO, Southeast Asia has an increasingly ageing population. Data suggests that while the proportion of people aged 60 or above was around 9.8% in 2017, it is expected to increase to about 13.7% and 20.3% by 2030 and by 2050, respectively. Furthermore, conversational AI and live streaming are on the rise in the region.
“Southeast Asia has a booming live streaming market and Singapore is one of the most crypto-friendly areas in the world. In addition to that, many countries in the region have large elderly populations. This creates unique opportunities for businesses like ours, that work on products that are at the intersection of these growing markets,” shares Maxim.
How about a sidekick with artificial intelligence?
Further tapping into these trends in the region, susuROBO recently introduced a new voice and gaze-controlled AI sidekick for beginner live streamers and an NFT-enabled early access program for its no-code AI live streamer development platform.
“For live streamers who are just getting started or streaming solo, it can be tough to create engaging banter with their audience. So we’re introducing an AI live streaming sidekick that’s ready to jump into the conversation,” shares Maxim.
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The sidekick decides the most appropriate timing and phrasing based on the conversational context and the host’s voice and gaze. To encourage wider community participation, we’ve invited participants to a limited public beta program since last December,” he explains.
The startup’s new collection of NFTs, where each token will be corresponding to the AI live streamer’s appearance and personality, NFT holders will get early access to the beta version of the developer tools.
They will be able to develop and train custom English and Japanese language and dialogue models. This will help them create a unique customised avatar personality, deploy and test their unique AI live streamer, and have a direct line of communication with susuROBO’s founders via Discord.
Collaborations and partnerships for a better tomorrow
Many reports have advocated that collaborations and partnerships will be key to success, especially in the post-pandemic future. In line with this, susuROBO is actively working in fostering great partnerships across the region.
“We are working to establish partnerships across a range of industries. We are already partnering with Monash University in Kuala Lumpur to develop a heart disease outpatient care support app with a nurse avatar. Next, we are looking to partner with elderly care facilities and live streaming agencies and technology companies,” says Maxim.
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Winners of a 5G technology subsidy from the City of Osaka for its project on voice-enabled elderly care devices, susuROBO has established a brand name and presence in Japan. Further strengthening their position in the country, recently, they graduated from Kobe 500 Founder Academy program, and have participated in a Plug and Play program that matches startups with enterprises. The startup is also a winner of the excellence award of the 2021 Osaka Health Industry Promising Plan contest.
After garnering due credibility and success in Japan, this startup is all set to enter Southeast Asia and hopefully lead the region in conversational AI and its applications. Learn more about susuROBO at http://susurobo.jp.
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This article is produced by the e27 team, sponsored by JETRO
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