In the bustling markets of Yiwu, a city renowned for its small-commodity trade, 28-year-old Fu Jiangyan is rewriting the rules of global business with artificial intelligence. Her sock-selling venture, once confined to local stalls, now reaches customers worldwide through AI-generated videos tailored to 36 languages—from Mandarin to Swahili.
Fu's innovative approach began with a simple challenge: scaling her business amid linguistic and cultural barriers. By training AI tools to handle translations, voiceovers, and culturally nuanced marketing, she slashed costs and time while expanding into Southeast Asian, European, and African markets. <\/p>
\"Three years ago, hiring translators for 10 languages would have bankrupted me,\" Fu explains. \"Now, AI lets one person do the work of an entire international team.\" Her TikTok-style clips blend product demos with localized humor, driving a 300% surge in overseas orders since 2022.<\/p>
Academics highlight Fu's model as a case study in inclusive technology adoption. \"This isn't just about socks,\" says Dr. Lin Wei, a Beijing-based digital economy researcher. \"It shows how SMEs across Asia can leverage AI for hyper-localized globalization without deep technical expertise.\"<\/p>
As Yiwu’s traders take note, Fu mentors peers through free workshops. Her next goal? Developing an AI co-pilot that advises on export regulations and cross-border payment systems. \"If my grandma can use this,\" she laughs, \"anyone can turn dreams into invoices.\"<\/p>
