Inside JohnSmith.AI - The Future of AI Brand Ambassadors and Live Commerce

Written by Bennie Randall for Vonoi Magazine

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how brands connect with customers but few companies are building AI with consistency, identity, and commerce at the core. We sat down with the founder of JohnSmith.AI, a company pioneering real-time AI brand ambassadors and next-generation content creation, to discuss the technology, the vision, and where the future of AI driven influence is headed.

Tell us about JohnSmith.AI and the products you offer?

JohnSmith.AI is the company, and we currently have two core products.
The first is JohnSmith.AI, which focuses on real-time, interactive AI brand ambassadors primarily for live commerce and customer engagement.
The second is Castor, a video generation platform designed for creators and brands.
Both products are built around one core idea, maintaining a single, consistent digital identity (or IP) across unlimited content formats.

What do you mean by “consistent identity”?
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Today, if you use most AI tools to generate images or videos, it’s very difficult to keep the same character or person consistent across content. Change the lighting, angle, or prompt and suddenly it looks like a different person.
Our technology solves that.

For example, we have an AI character named Coco. Coco can create images, generate videos, livestream in real time, and even change hairstyles yet she remains instantly recognizable as the same person. That identity stays consistent across platforms and formats. Coco becomes an AI brand ambassador a persistent digital personality that brands can program to represent their products, services, tone, and values.

So brands can essentially “assign” their products to an AI ambassador?

Exactly. You can program the AI with your brand knowledge, your product catalog, your messaging, and your culture. That ambassador can then represent you consistently without limits on time, geography, or content volume.

What inspired you to build this technology?

About three years ago, we saw the explosion of live commerce in Asia. Live streaming was booming but it was incredibly demanding on human hosts. Some people were live on camera for 16 to 18 hours a day. That’s not sustainable. It’s anti-human. We believed AI shouldn’t replace people it should enhance them. Humans could work eight hours, and AI could handle the rest. No fatigue. No burnout. No downtime. That’s where the idea of a real-time AI brand ambassador was born.

Is JohnSmith.AI B2B or B2C?

JohnSmith.AI is primarily B2B. Today, we serve more than 1,000 live streaming channels globally, working with over 1,600 brands. Some of the brands we support include major global names across fashion, beauty, and luxury.
So far, our AI driven live commerce solutions have helped generate over $1 million in revenue globally.

How mature is the technology today?

JohnSmith.AI is enterprise grade. One of our biggest differentiators is zero hallucination the AI only responds using verified, brand approved knowledge.
That’s critical for live commerce and customer interaction, where accuracy and trust matter.

Live streaming is still emerging in the U.S. Do you see that changing?

Absolutely. Live commerce is already massive in Asia, and it’s just getting started in the U.S. Platforms like Whatnot are early indicators.
I’ve spoken with leaders about how this live streaming will be a dominant channel in the next five years. And not just for products, but for services and B2B engagement as well.

What about small businesses or startups can they use this technology?

Yes, and this is where it becomes powerful. For a small business that can’t afford to hire a full-time salesperson or brand representative, an AI ambassador becomes a 24/7 interactive front desk. It can explain services, answer questions, advocate for your brand, and engage customers around the clock.

Where do you see the company in five years?

In five years, every company will have its own AI brand ambassador.
These ambassadors will:

• Speak the same brand language
• Share the same knowledge base
• Adapt to different cultures and regions
• Communicate in multiple languages

Brands will deploy different AI ambassadors for different audiences while keeping one unified identity at the core.

Tell us a bit about your background.

I studied at the University of Michigan, then returned to Hong Kong and China, where I spent five to six years in investment banking and finance.
Being in the investment world helped me see opportunities early. In February 2022, we launched what I believe was the world’s first real-time interactive AI brand ambassador not just pre-recorded videos, but live interaction.
At the time, most companies were focused on short form AI video. We went straight into live streaming.

You also mentioned Castor. What is that platform?

Castor is a video-generation platform designed for creators and brands. Our long-term vision is to build an AI Influencer Operating System.
In the next three to five years, we believe:

• Most influencers will be virtual
• About 50% will be AI enhanced versions of real people
• The other 50% will be entirely fictional

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This aligns perfectly with the shift toward micro influencers smaller creators with highly engaged audiences. Castor allows anyone, even camera shy or time-constrained creators, to build a consistent, high quality digital presence.

Is this affordable for businesses?

For JohnSmith.AI’s live streaming solution, pricing starts around $50,000 per year.
If you’re already spending that much to hire a full time employee, this often makes more sense. The AI works 24/7, never gets tired, never gets sick, doesn’t need benefits and remains consistently energetic and on-brand.