A smart self-service convenience store selling Coca-Cola beverages in Changsha, China – without clerks or cash – is part of a new experiment in the country under Coke’s “520 Program” promoting the growth of women entrepreneurship. The hi-tech cooler was built by jointly by Coca-Cola and YI Tunnel using AI technology. Smart stores like the one in Changsha not only attract younger consumers, they are more efficient to operate, according to Yi Tunnel, which expects more traditional convenience and retail stores to also adopt the technology.

A Coca-Cola video showing a passerby offering a Coke to a Muslim woman – “a victim of harsh stares and mockery” – who is ending her day of fast during Ramadan was intended to be “a simple but universal message of friendship, kindness, solidarity and inclusiveness with millions of Muslims.” Reaction on the internet was mainly positive – commenters called it “moving” and “meaningful” – but naysayers noted that Coke is “not an ideal beverage to breakfast with as it is unhealthy.” A Coca-Cola spokesman, nevertheless, said sharing a Coke brings people closer and the company’s beverages are enjoyed in Muslim communities everywhere at the end of each day of the Ramadan fast.

Alibaba Cloud has developed ET Agricultural Brain, an artificial intelligence-enabled platform for helping agricultural enterprises, including hog farmers, in China. Proprietary in design, the system is aimed at helping farmers to improve their livestock raising and crop production through innovations. With a special focus on hog farming, ET Agricultural Brain uses algorithm-based models to develop an “exercise regimen” for pigs to improve their health, as well as their piglet yields. China is the world’s largest producer of pork, according to data from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. It also accounts for half of the world’s pork consumption, data from Singapore-based DBS showed.[Image Credit: © Alibaba]

Chinese cosmetic conglomerate Jala Group is touring Australian cities, in partnership with Alibaba’s e-commerce arm Tmall, to promote its products, including a smart mirror. The augmented reality (AR) tool allows users to take a selfie using an in-built webcam and then shows them how they look with different make-up choices. Users can scan and buy their preferred choices through QR codes that appear onscreen. Jala has built four key brands (Maysu, Chando, Botanical Wisdom and Insea ) over the last 17 years to develop its presence in technology, innovation and design, in partnership with firms in Japan, France and the US.[Image Credit: © JALA Corporation]