June 21, 2025

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OpenAI Caution, Palantir AI Access, Salesforce AI Sales Boost

China's 618 shopping festival saw record sales, fueled by AI marketing and trade-in programs. Tmall alone had 453 brands exceed $13.94 million in sales each. AI avatars are also making waves, with one livestream on Baidu's Youxuan platform generating $7.6 million in sales in just over six hours using avatars powered by Baidu's AI. Meanwhile, OpenAI cofounder Andrej Karpathy is urging caution with AI, pointing out its potential for errors and the need for human oversight. In other news, Oracle launched the Oracle Defense Ecosystem to integrate AI and cloud tech into military operations, offering access to Palantir’s AI platform. AI is also transforming various sectors: it's optimizing supply chains, streamlining trade finance (with the AI in Trade Finance Market expected to reach $38.9 billion by 2033), and even influencing healthcare, where senators are debating AI regulation. Citi anticipates that the AI trade will continue to drive market sentiment, outweighing geopolitical risks. Keva, Finland's largest pension fund, is adopting ethical AI principles for responsible AI use. Finally, Nexstar Media Group is partnering with Salesforce, leveraging AI to enhance ad sales through Salesforce CRM Analytics, Revenue Cloud, and Agentforce for Media.

Key Takeaways

  • China's 618 shopping festival achieved record sales, boosted by AI marketing and trade-in initiatives.
  • Tmall saw 453 brands each achieve over $13.94 million in sales during the 618 shopping festival.
  • AI avatars on Baidu's Youxuan platform generated $7.6 million in sales in a single livestream.
  • OpenAI's cofounder, Andrej Karpathy, advises caution with AI due to its potential for errors and the necessity of human supervision.
  • Oracle launched the Oracle Defense Ecosystem to integrate AI and cloud technologies into military applications, providing access to Palantir's AI platform.
  • AI is optimizing supply chains through AI-driven robots and route planning.
  • The AI in Trade Finance Market is projected to reach $38.9 billion by 2033.
  • Citi believes the AI trade will continue to drive market sentiment, overshadowing geopolitical risks.
  • Keva, Finland's largest pension fund, is implementing ethical AI principles for responsible AI usage.
  • Nexstar Media Group is partnering with Salesforce, utilizing AI to improve ad sales through Salesforce CRM Analytics, Revenue Cloud, and Agentforce for Media.

China's 618 shopping festival hits record sales with AI and trade-ins

China's 618 shopping festival had record sales this year, helped by trade-in programs and AI marketing. JD.com reported over 2.2 billion orders, and Tmall saw 453 brands each make over $13.94 million in sales. A trade-in program encouraged people to exchange old items for new ones, boosting sales in home appliances and cars. AI played a big role, with JD.com using more AI agents and virtual hosts for livestreaming, which helped merchants save money and connect with customers.

AI avatars outsell human influencers making $7.6M in just 7 hours

AI avatars beat human influencers in sales during a livestream on Baidu's Youxuan platform. Entrepreneur Luo Yonghao and Xiao Mu used AI avatars powered by Baidu's AI model. The session made 55 million yuan ($7.65 million) in sales in just over six hours. The avatars were created using Baidu's AI, which learned from videos to copy their style. AI avatars can cut costs because businesses don't need to hire a big team or studio.

AI influencers beat humans in sales a 'DeepSeek moment'

AI avatars are now selling more than real people, shown by a livestream that made $7.65 million. Chinese tech firm Baidu and streamer Luo Yonghao used digital avatars on Baidu’s Youxuan platform. The AI avatars helped them earn 55 million yuan (about $7.65 million) in over six hours. The avatars were built using Baidu’s AI model, trained on five years of videos to copy Luo’s style, and AI helps companies save money by livestreaming nonstop.

Oracle launches defense ecosystem for AI and cloud innovation

Oracle launched the Oracle Defense Ecosystem on June 17 to help defense companies use AI and cloud tech in military operations. This program helps tech companies work together, use Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), and understand defense rules. Initial members include AI and security firms like Arqit, Blackshark.ai, and Metron. The program offers sales support, guidance, access to Palantir’s AI platform, and help with security rules, and Oracle aims to speed up tech progress in military uses.

Oracle launches defense ecosystem for AI and cloud innovation

Oracle launched the Oracle Defense Ecosystem on June 17 to help defense companies use AI and cloud tech in military operations. This program helps tech companies work together, use Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), and understand defense rules. Initial members include AI and security firms like Arqit, Blackshark.ai, and Metron. The program offers sales support, guidance, access to Palantir’s AI platform, and help with security rules, and Oracle aims to speed up tech progress in military uses.

OpenAI cofounder says keep AI on a leash it's not perfect

OpenAI cofounder Andrej Karpathy said people should be careful with AI because it still makes mistakes. He said AI can make errors that humans wouldn't, like thinking 9.11 is bigger than 9.9. Karpathy urged developers to slow down and focus on clear instructions for AI. He said even though AI can write code quickly, developers need to check for bugs. Karpathy also said that AI still needs supervision to make sure it works correctly.

AI helps supply chains work smarter not harder

AI is changing the supply chain, making it more efficient. AI-driven robots work with humans in warehouses, and AI helps plan routes for packages. In drayage, AI helps trucking companies move packages from ships to sorting facilities. AI can automatically match drivers to shipments and monitor when containers arrive. AI also helps with customer emails, freeing up workers to focus on growing the business.

Healthcare AI Senate debates infrastructure issues and job changes

Senators are debating whether the federal government or states should regulate AI in healthcare. Most healthcare IT leaders use outdated computer systems, which could cause problems with AI. AI-driven ransomware is a growing security risk for healthcare organizations. Pathologists are using AI to make diagnoses more accurate and efficient. AI is also changing how drug companies market to consumers, and AI may not cause as many job losses in healthcare as in other fields.

Citi expects AI to outweigh Middle East risks in trading

Citi's Dirk Willer believes the AI trade will continue to drive market sentiment, despite geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Citi is overweight on equities, including U.S. stocks, due to strong AI momentum and earnings. They expect any impact from Middle East tensions to be short-lived. Citi favors emerging Asian markets like Korea, Taiwan, and India, as they benefit from the AI boom. The bank acknowledges that U.S. tech outperformance could hinder European equity gains.

AI streamlines trade finance with intelligent automation

AI is changing trade finance by making it more efficient and standard. AI helps automate complex processes, speeding up transactions and reducing errors. The AI in Trade Finance Market is expected to reach $38.9 billion by 2033. AI is used for document automation, risk management, and compliance. While AI offers many benefits, high costs and the need for specialized talent can be challenges.

Keva adopts ethical AI principles for pension management

Keva, Finland's largest pension fund, has created ethical principles for using AI. These principles ensure AI is used responsibly and fairly within the organization. Keva wants to make sure AI-generated content is not based on prejudice or discrimination. The principles cover transparency, data protection, fairness, and security. Keva also encourages staff to develop AI skills and use AI in their work.

Nexstar uses AI in Salesforce partnership for ad sales

Nexstar Media Group is using AI in its partnership with Salesforce to improve ad sales. They are using Salesforce CRM Analytics and Revenue Cloud to combine their data into one platform. Nexstar will use Salesforce Media Cloud to help sales staff manage ad campaigns. They will also use Agentforce for Media, an AI system that can do tasks without human help, and Nexstar aims to deliver smarter and faster solutions for advertisers.

Sources

AI Artificial Intelligence E-commerce Sales Marketing Trade-in Programs Livestreaming AI Avatars Influencers Baidu Youxuan Oracle Defense Ecosystem Cloud Technology Military Operations Security OpenAI Andrej Karpathy AI Safety Supply Chain Automation Healthcare Regulation Ransomware Pathology Drug Marketing Citi Trading Market Sentiment Trade Finance Risk Management Compliance Keva Ethical AI Pension Management Nexstar Salesforce Ad Sales CRM Analytics Revenue Cloud Media Cloud Agentforce China JD.com Tmall Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Palantir Data Protection Transparency Fairness