Understanding food | Changes of food farming system in South Korea under epidemic situation: consumers, food market and farmers

Since April 2022, South Korea has gradually liberalized various restrictions, looking forward to getting out of the shadow of the epidemic and returning to daily life. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020, the Korean food farming system (referring to the connection system between consumers and farmers) has experienced unprecedented impact and crisis. Every chain in the system, from ordinary consumers, restaurants, food markets, supermarkets to farmers, is looking for new possibilities.

Spending more time at home not only drives online shopping and take-out, but also increases the time for family members to eat together, and promotes the popularity of family replacing meals. The fluctuation of food prices has forced consumers, including housewives, to find cheaper choices, which has made the food market see business opportunities. The auction of large-scale agricultural products wholesale market was transferred to the Internet, and small farmers also found a platform to connect directly with consumers.

In 2017, Shanghai Jiangqiao Wholesale Market. A cabbage needs to go through several circulation and processing links from the field to the diners. The epidemic has changed these links, and people are also looking for new ways and opportunities. The Paper reporter Zhou Pinglang

Online shopping is growing rapidly.

On the evening of July 31st, 2021, after landing at Incheon International Airport in Seoul, we took a taxi to the reserved hotel. At the door, the ingredients such as mineral water, jiaozi and eggs that Korean friends helped to buy online were piled up.

After 14 days of home isolation, different friends helped us order ingredients and take-away food through different network platforms such as SSG, Coupang, and "the nation with delivery", which can be delivered accurately to what time. The delivery speed is very fast, usually delivered on the same day or early the next morning. The cold and fresh ingredients are stored in an incubator, delivered to the door at six in the morning, and still well preserved when the door is opened at eight or nine. Compared with the experience of online shopping in the United States, South Korea’s fresh ingredients online shopping is faster, better preserved, and cheaper, and there is no need to pay tips, basically exceeding a certain consumption quota, and the distribution is free.

In February 2020, after the outbreak of COVID-19 in South Korea, the government encouraged home office, postponed the new semester, and then switched to online classes. Busy Koreans spend more time at home, and online shopping is growing rapidly. In 2020, online shopping in Korea increased by 46% compared with the previous year, reaching a scale of 17 billion US dollars.

According to Statistics Korea’s online shopping tendency survey, compared with the previous year, in 2020, Koreans’ online shopping in food take-out and agricultural products, meat products and seafood grew the fastest, with growth rates of 78% and 67% respectively. Judging from the trend of online shopping in the past two years, even if the epidemic ends, online shopping will maintain a strong momentum. The rise of online shopping platforms has greatly squeezed the sales of offline stores. In response to the decline in sales, some large supermarkets and cooperative markets in South Korea launched delivery services, which rose against the trend in 2020, increasing by 7.8% and 16.1% respectively.

Family replaces the popularity of meals.

Our new home is located near the Xindaolin subway station in Seoul. There are many hospitals, department stores, cafes and convenience stores. Life is very convenient. There are more than 90 restaurants in a few blocks downstairs. After the isolation, we found that there were not many restaurants around, because the epidemic prevention level in Korea was the highest at that time, and the number of people dining out was limited to four at most, and they had to close after 9 pm. Almost all restaurants have transparent baffles installed on their tables to prevent droplet infection. When you enter the store, you need to take your temperature and register your residence or register by phone, so that you can track it. Under such strict dining requirements, not many people choose to eat in the hall. It was only after the epidemic prevention policy was released this spring that we realized how depressed the catering industry in this area was before when the surrounding restaurants returned to a state of buzzing and singing at midnight.

According to statistics, in 2017, 47% of Koreans often eat out, because the cost of ingredients is getting higher and higher, and because of the increasingly busy lifestyle and various restaurants everywhere. According to the data of Korea Rural Economic Research Institute, compared with the previous year, the rate of Koreans eating out decreased by 7.5% in 2020, and more than 80% people said in the questionnaire survey that they didn’t eat out for a whole year.The government used the "restaurant consumption revitalization" plan to stimulate consumption and provide emergency relief funds to those families directly or partially affected by the epidemic. Some local governments have also issued local currency to create "aseptic restaurants".However, concerns and fears about the spread of the epidemic and strict epidemic prevention measures have hit the catering service industry hard.

Under the epidemic situation, Koreans who are used to eating out can only eat at home. According to the annual questionnaire survey of the Korea Rural Economic Research Institute, in 2020, due to the epidemic, the proportion of families eating with their families was as high as 47.7%, which was only 4.4% in 2019. However, many "home meal replacement" foods were introduced in supermarkets, neighborhood markets and convenience stores, which greatly liberated busy workers and mothers.

My Korean friend Mae has two children, plus grandma and parents, and a family of seven lives under one roof for four generations. She and her husband are both full-time employees, so she often buys family meals from the supermarket. Bagged kelp beef soup is a must-have in the refrigerator at home, and you can eat it immediately after heating. What she likes best is the "peacock" cooking bag launched by her company New World and its largest supermarket brand Emart in South Korea in recent years. In addition to the army hot pot, pickled vegetable soup and miso soup that Koreans often eat, there are also Chinese miscellaneous sauce noodles, spicy beef noodles, Thai curry, Singapore fried noodles, Vietnamese rice noodles, Italian garlic shrimp with bread and other options. In each food box, the food, side dishes, spices and sauce packages are packed in vacuum. After opening, simply stir-fry and stew according to the recipe, and after 10-15 minutes, you can finish an exotic meal. Cook a delicious meal for the whole family early after work, and treat yourself by cooking at night after work. The price of ingredients boxes of different dishes varies, which is about 40-80 yuan RMB, which is much cheaper than eating out.

Although the family replacement meal market in South Korea developed around 2016, its sales reached a new high during the epidemic. In 2020, take-away food and families replaced meal consumption, an increase of 77.5% compared with 2019. Among the "Peacock" cooking packages, an army hot pot launched in 2020 was very popular and sold more than 180,000 copies. The Korea Rural Economic Research Institute predicts that by 2024, this market will reach 646 million US dollars.

Inflation is serious, and the number of people applying for assistance is increasing.

After home isolation, I went to the supermarket to buy food and found that the fruit in Seoul was very expensive. Take the seasonal fruit watermelon in summer as an example. The price of a medium-sized watermelon is about 100 RMB, which is three times that of Florida watermelon in the same season. Other fruits, such as grapes, apples and even tomatoes, are one to two times more expensive than those in the United States.

Later, I met some Korean friends in China who lived in Seoul for seven or eight years. One of the housewives, Jin Kunjie, said that the fruit in Seoul was very expensive. In the past three years, the price of fruits and vegetables has become more and more expensive. Take Apple as an example. In 2019, it was about 5.25 RMB each, and this year it rose directly to about one RMB in 9 yuan. Korean friends around us, including children, eat fruits cleanly and rarely waste them.

Jin Yinghui is also a Korean. He has worked in the community retail store "My Market" in Xindaolin for 11 years and has a deep understanding of the fluctuation of vegetable prices in the three years of the epidemic. He remembers that Chinese cabbage, the most commonly eaten by Koreans, was about a bag (3 pieces) of RMB in 30 yuan before the epidemic. At the end of last year, it once rose to about 70 yuan, and this spring it fell back to about 47 yuan. Before the epidemic, the purchase price of eggs was about 30 in 20 yuan. This spring, the purchase price rose by about 10 yuan RMB. My friend Yu Zhengji remembers that the price of eggs soared to about 30 in 50 yuan last year. She asked the vendors who frequented the community vegetable market, only to know that the price of chicken feed increased, and even the prices of chicken and eggs increased.

Since the third quarter of 2020, the prices of agricultural and fishery products have soared in South Korea, an increase of about 18% compared with the previous two quarters. The most direct cause is the flood caused by rare climate change, but the impact of the epidemic can not be ignored.

South Korea’s agriculture has long relied on foreign workers, and the COVID-19 epidemic has prevented foreign workers from going abroad, resulting in a large labor shortage. South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor said it would allocate 9,400 seasonal workers to agriculture and fisheries, but only 1,384 foreign workers finally entered the country smoothly. Farmers in South Korea had to hire local workers at high prices, which directly pushed up the prices of agricultural and fishery products.

Under the epidemic situation, food distribution channels have also undergone drastic changes, resulting in the waste of many perishable foods. The prices of major international cereals, such as corn, soybeans and wheat, also rose rapidly after the third quarter of 2020.

In 2021, although the epidemic situation in South Korea was slightly stable, prices continued to rise, causing overall inflation. In the second quarter of 2021, the supply of agricultural products was in short supply during the outbreak of avian influenza, which greatly pushed up the prices of agricultural products. The Korea Herald reported that in April, the prices of agricultural products, meat products and fishery products rose by 17.9%, and the price of onions alone rose by 270%.

At one time, Seoul people could not afford to eat onions. Jin Kunjie remembers that before the epidemic, a handful of shallots cost only seven or eight yuan. Last year, the price rose to RMB in 24 yuan for a long time, and sometimes it was even impossible to buy it. At one time, onions could only be used instead. Koreans like to put a lot of onions in their diet, but at that time they went to the restaurant to eat noodle soup, and only two or three green chopped onions floated sporadically on it. Last summer, she and her family traveled to Yuanzhou, gangwon, and ate beef soup in a small shop in the country. When they saw the green chopped green onion floating on the surface, they were in tears. Just ask the restaurant owner to know that South Korea imports a lot of vegetables from China every summer, and shallots are among them. The epidemic affects the transnational supply chain, and restaurants and supermarkets in cities will naturally raise prices if they can’t buy shallots. The restaurants in the countryside grow their own vegetables, and the shallots are put in handfuls.

According to the report of the Bank of Korea, the inflation rate has been breaking records since the second half of 2021. By January 2022, the inflation rate of consumer goods was close to the highest point in a decade. In the second half of 2021, South Korea’s price increase rate ranked third among OECD countries, only after Turkey and Australia. The prices of Lamian Noodles, milk, other foods and beverages continue to rise because of the impact on the supply chain. In the third quarter of 2021, it increased by 2.6% compared with 2020, when the price rose sharply.

Kyochon F&B, the number one fried chicken distributor in South Korea, raised the price of all fried chicken by 8.1% in November 2021. This is the first price increase in seven years. Quchuntang, a rice wine company that Koreans like, has also increased the price of rice wine by 25% due to the increase in international grain prices. Kang Hee-won, the sales manager of Korea’s largest meat wholesale company, mentioned in an interview that the wholesale price of beef ribs was about 20,000 won a catty at the beginning of 2021, and it rose to 30,000 won in November, an increase of 50%.

"As the labor market is unstable, rising food prices will deal a heavy blow to the lower classes, because most of them lost their jobs during the pandemic."Jin Shiwan, a professor at Ewha Women’s University, said.

For more than two years before January 2020, the average number of families receiving livelihood benefit in South Korea was only 1,500 per month, but from February 2020, the number of families receiving assistance rose to 6,000. In August 2021, the government decided to give about 88% of the people about 250,000 won (about 1,314 yuan) in aid.

The food market has increased against the trend.

In the past three years, housewives have been particularly sensitive to rising prices and are looking for cheaper alternatives everywhere.

By studying the consumption data of residents’ credit cards and debit cards, Korean scholars found that under the epidemic situation, consumers who chose to buy ingredients in retail stores and convenience stores near their homes increased significantly, while at the same time, the number of people shopping in department stores and supermarkets decreased significantly.

Jin Kunjie found that in Yongdengpu District, where she lives, the food market has opened more and more in the past two years. In the so-called food market, more than 90% of the goods are vegetables and fruits. Originally, it was a supermarket that directly provided food to restaurants and small restaurants, but in recent years it attracted many ordinary consumers.

Large supermarkets have to be closed for two days every month. Originally, it was to provide living space for traditional markets and community retail stores, but the food market has become the first choice for community residents to buy food because of its all-day and lower prices. "The same plate of 30 eggs costs more than 50 RMB in large supermarkets and sells 30 or 40 pieces in neighborhood stores or food markets. Housewives naturally know how to choose. " Jin Kunjie said.

According to a report by the Korea Ministry of Industry, Trade and Resources, in 2020, due to the epidemic, the sales of large supermarkets and enterprise supermarkets decreased by 3% and 3.8% respectively, while the sales of Segyero market, the largest food market in China, increased by 20%, and Jangbogo, another food market, also increased by 17%.

Under the epidemic, these food markets have opened one after another, and because the store area does not exceed 3,000 square meters, they are recognized as small and medium-sized enterprises, and they can apply for emergency relief funds from the government. For example, after the closure of Homeplus Dongjinhai branch in Sanfangdong, Jinhai City, Gyeongsangnam-do, it was replaced by the food market named "First Market". Due to the high rent, Lotte Supermarket Jiuli Store opened a new store at the same address in June 2020 after winning the bid with an annual rent of 3.3 billion won (about 17.386 million RMB) from the food market Elmateu.

疫情之前,食材市场就已快速发展。根据韩国流通协会的数据,2019年食材市场50-100亿韩元规模的店铺,较2014年增长了72.6%,销售额也增长了36.5%。截至2019年,销售额超过100亿韩元的食材市场仅占社区超市、便利店、大型超市、百货商店和综合商场等线下零售商总数的0.5%,销售额却占到市场总额的 24.1%。疫情只是把因收入减少而消费降级的人群,更多集中到食材市场里。

食材市场利用政策空隙,在大型超市、综合型小超市和传统市场之间打开了一条野蛮生长的道路,引起了韩国超市合作协会、全国商人联合会等许多成员的激烈反对,要求它们像大型超市一样每月固定时间关闭,不能全天候营业。但目前没有针对食材市场的严格政策规范。

Connect consumers and farmers directly.

Farmers in South Korea have established many associations similar to vegetable alliances according to regions to ensure a guaranteed price for agricultural products. Farmers sell their output through various large and medium-sized wholesale markets for agricultural products and fishery products. Vendors, including supermarket chains, traditional market stalls, neighborhood shops and even middle sellers, must go to the wholesale market to bid for the agricultural products of the day, so the prices of agricultural products fluctuate every day. After the auction, the buyer can pay the same day to return to his store with fresh ingredients such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, vegetables and fruits, or resell them to the next level of sales channels.

In June, 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Products and Food of Korea, the Agricultural Association and the Korea Rural Economic Research Institute jointly developed an online agricultural product trading system, which moved the auction trading in major wholesale markets online. A total of 2,200 wholesalers participated in the auction, and many distributors including Emart participated in the auction. At first, the auction varieties were limited to onions, and then other varieties of vegetables and fruits were launched one after another.

There are two auction times every day, five days a week, except weekends. In this online trading system, the highest bidder can buy agricultural products directly from farmers. After the payment is successful, the agricultural products will be transported directly from the farm to the designated place the next day without going through the wholesale market. The online trading system charges 3% listing fee, which is much lower than 4-7% in the offline wholesale market. And greatly saves the time and transportation cost of farmers, distributors and wholesale markets.

Jung Young-jae, a senior manager of Hanyang Agricultural Association, said that after simplifying the distribution costs, the prices of agricultural products can also be reduced by 3-15%, farmers can sell better prices, and consumers can also buy vegetables with good quality and low price. It can be said that it is another convenience and welfare brought by non-contact shopping under the epidemic situation.

Consumers have also found another way to buy agricultural and fishery products directly from farmers, bypassing wholesale markets and retailers. Korean friend Gao Huiying is a senior housewife, and with the baby in her belly, she has four children at home. Growing children eat a lot, and the consumption of ingredients at home is large and fast. Naver’s APP Band is the most popular mobile social media in Korea, with four or five million more users than Instagram and Facebook. Huiying found an online shopping platform named "Nongle" on Band. She bought fresh agricultural, animal husbandry and fishery products directly from farmers, and bought a box of vegetables, fish or meat at a time, but she also had to bear the transportation expenses herself, but it was cheaper and fresher than going to the market. For example, if you buy a box of hairtail for about 50,000 won (about 158 yuan), the same product will cost more than 10,000 won in the supermarket.

At present, Nongle has nearly 1.04 million users, and more than 100,000 people visit it every day. Since its establishment in 2012, it has mainly relied on word-of-mouth promotion by housewives and other consumers. At first, it was founded by young people who wanted to help their parents sell agricultural products. The founder’s parents’ farm was only 200 ping (about 661 square meters), and the variety of products was small, so it was difficult to enter large shopping malls, and it was difficult to enter the wholesale market to participate in bidding. When the harvest was good, they could only be sold in stalls. In order to help many small farmers with similar difficulties, the founders used Naver Café ("Naver Coffee") platform, which allowed users to set up online communities directly, to start the "Country of Direct Trading of Agricultural Products", and later renamed it "Nongle". Farmers who settle in can have a sales channel only by paying 100,000 to 200,000 won (about 527 yuan to 1,054 yuan) a year, and the cost is far cheaper than entering large-scale businesses.

Nongle provides the most elementary technical support. Farmers send simple photos on it, and consumers can chat with producers directly in the message board and ask for details and prices. After the transaction is concluded, the farmer will deliver the goods directly to the consumers. Consumers supervise farmers through additional comments, and farmers have the obligation to refund if the products are defective. For farmers who operate in bad faith, the management team of Nongle can vote by members according to the norms jointly formulated and observed, and kick farmers off the platform.

The epidemic for three years has had a great impact on all stakeholders under the food-farming system. Farmers, middlemen, various types of supermarkets, markets, restaurants and consumers are all trying to return to their daily lives. The government has also introduced many assistance measures.

In 2020, due to the delay in the start of school, farmers who signed the supply contract school meal plan could not distribute the ingredients, and the government encouraged supermarkets and government-related distributors to buy them. The Korean Pork Association also bought some ingredients, and people can receive free water celery while buying meat.

Farmers who need to be isolated at home because of infection can apply for low-interest loans, totaling 48.8 million US dollars. Affected flower farmers can also apply for low-interest loans. The government also encourages restaurants to buy ingredients from local farmers, and provides low-interest loans totaling $16.3 million for restaurants that buy local ingredients.

To understand food is to understand the connection between man and the earth. The column "Understanding Food" was planned and written by Good Food Fund of China Green Hair Association. This article is a Korean reference, translated and arranged by Huang Qingming, a doctoral candidate at the University of Florida and a Junior Fellow at Seoul National University)

References:

English reference materials:

1.Hanghun Jo, Eunha Shin and Heungsoon Kim, Changes in Consumer Behaviour in the Post-COVID-19 Era in Seoul, South Korea, https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability, 2021.

2.Alison Blay-Palmer  , Guido Santini ,Jess Halliday ,Roman Malec , Joy Carey , Léo Keller , Jia Ni ,Makiko Taguchi nd René van Veenhuizen , City Region Food Systems: Building Resilience to COVID-19 and Other Shocks, https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability, 2021.

3.USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Voluntary Report , COVID-19 Impact on Food Market Trends in Korea, April 29, 2021.

4.USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Voluntary Report , Additional Impact on Korean Agriculture and Food Situation, March 25,2020.

5.Seoki Lee  and Sunny Ham ,Food service industry in the era of COVID-19: trends and research implications,Nutrition Research and Practice,2021.

6.Shenggen Fan, Paul Teng, Ping Chew, Geoffry Smith, Les Copeland , Food system resilience and COVID-19 – Lessons from the Asian experience, Global Food Sercurity ,2021.

7.Jani Toivanen,MARKET ANALYSIS:SOUTH KOREA,Bussiness Finland,https://www.businessfinland.fi/globalassets/food/fff_coachingday_korea_presentation_final_jt.pdf

8.Chang Dong-woo,S. Korean farmers struggle from labor shortage as pandemic disrupts migrant work system, Yonhap News Agency,https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20211015006600315,2021

9.Lim Jang-won ,Making favorite restaurant dishes at home:As pandemic keeps people from dining out, restaurants turn to meal kits, The Korea Herald,http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php? ud=20201209000863,2020.

10.Jung Hyuk-hoon and Minu Kim,Korea’s online agricultural exchange saves time and money for producers, retailers, https://pulsenews.co.kr/view.php? year=2020&no=586553,2020.06.08

11. Choi Jae-hee,S. Korea’s food prices increase to third highest among OECD states,The Korea Herald , http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php? ud=20210808000189,2021

12.Kang Jae-eun,Food prices rise from pandemic, set to hit lower earners hard,The Korea Herald ,http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php? ud=20211122000812,2021

13.South Korea’s inflation jumped 3.6% in January as fuel and food prices surged,REUTERS, https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/04/south-koreas-inflation-jumped-3point6percent-in-january-as-fuel-food-prices-surged.html,2022

14.Sanhyo Kim and Seongyong Shin,Post-COVID-19 Era, Changes and Outlook in Korea’s Agrifood Industry, FFTC Agricultural Policy Platform,https://ap.fftc.org.tw/article/2898,2021

15.Oh Dae-seok and Cho Jeehyun,Naver’s Band tops Korea’s social media markethttps://m.pulsenews.co.kr/view.php? year=2020&no=65394,2020

Korean reference materials:

1.전통시장이 아닌 쿠팡, 식자재마트 도운 대형마트 규제

https://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php? id=20220519500036

2."소비자 후기가 핵심이죠".. 영세 농어민과 소비자 잇는 농라

https://www.straightnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html? idxno=210977

3.홈플러스·롯데마트 사라진 자리 채우는 ‘식자재마트’

https://news.nate.com/view/20211214n02209

4.네이버 농식품 중개몰 ‘농라카페’

https://www.withbuyer.com/news/articleView.html? idxno=21639

5.산지직송 ‘B급 감성’ 농라카페를 아십니까

https://www.hankyung.com/economy/article/2021051987721

6.코로나19 속 식자재마트 출점·영업 규제 논란증폭

https://www.foodbank.co.kr/news/articleView.html? idxno=60425

Four new features make generative AI "even more powerful"

  Generative artificial intelligence (AIGC) is in the "C position" in the current technical field. It makes use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, finds laws through existing data, and automatically generates various types of content, such as articles, videos, pictures, music, codes, etc., through pre-training large models, and generative confrontation networks. AIGC represents the new trend of AI technology development. In the past, traditional AI was biased towards analytical ability, but now AI is generating new content, realizing a leap from perceiving and understanding the world to generating and creating the world.

  In the past, people could only use AIGC to create fragmented content. Nowadays, people use AIGC more and more to create the whole world. According to a recent report on Forbes biweekly website, some exciting and energetic new functions are pouring out in the field of AIGC technology, which opens up new opportunities for imaginative, interesting and potentially useful products, services and experiences (including but not limited to game creation).

People used generative artificial intelligence to create fragmented content. Nowadays, people are increasingly using generative artificial intelligence to create the whole world.

Image source: American Forbes biweekly website

  Deep learning plus chatting

  In recent years, with the continuous development of AI technology, chat robots have gradually become a "toon" in various fields, and it has also become a very popular way of interaction. Chat robot based on deep neural network has become a research hotspot.

  These chat bots are powered by deep machine learning, but inspired by human brain structure. During the training process, the supercomputer will read a large number of texts and train them. This kind of training enables the chat robot to combine the context in the conversation and produce a human-like text response.

  At present, the intelligent customer service chat robot integrates this technology. With the increasing ability of these robots in language translation, creative writing, understanding context and making meaningful responses, these chat robots can also become virtual assistants for busy professionals.

  Natural speech synthesis

  When reading the text aloud, the sound made by many AI robots sounds unnatural and uncomfortable. But scientists can now use some new tools in the field of text-to-speech software to create synthetic speech that sounds more natural and comfortable.

  For example, ElevenLabs, an AI text-to-speech company, launched the AI dubbing function, which can convert spoken content into another language while retaining the voice, language mode, emotion and intonation of the original speaker. This popular and powerful voice generator allows anyone to create professional voiceovers.

  These tools can convert text into high-quality audio with different sounds, styles and languages, and are expected to play a great role in video games and entertainment industries, giving unique dubbing to animated characters. It can also be combined with other technologies, such as the neurolinguistic model chat robot, to create a unique and realistic experience for users to "talk" with celebrities.

  Photo creation and editing

  With the new AIGC photo editing tool, people can do more than just stick interesting cat ears on photos.

  The AI application EPIK allows users to generate nostalgic, 1990s-style photos. Similar to other popular AI applications recently, EPIK works by letting users upload a series of selfies first, and then EPIK uses these selfies to generate retro yearbook photos. Recently, as celebrities from all over the world began to share photos generated by EPIK on social media, the app soared to the top of the Apple App Store in October.

  EPIK is not the first AI photo application that has become popular because of its wonderful features. Previously, products such as Lensa and Remini were also all the rage, and Lensa provided the "magic avatar" generated by AI; Remini topped the Apple App Store this summer because of its professional-looking AI avatar.

  In short, these new tools generate surreal versions of uploaded photos and have a series of styles, such as retro, elegant and sporty. Obviously, these photo editing tools can also be applied to games, movies, print advertisements or anything that relies on human images.

  AI emotional companionship

  AI emotional companionship refers to the use of natural language processing technology to simulate, understand, express and satisfy human emotional needs, thus providing users with an experience similar to emotional communication and support between humans. Models created based on such tools can truly and sympathetically discuss thoughts and feelings with human beings, play roles, and help manage users’ anxiety.

  Of course, there are still many people who are uncomfortable to establish a closer relationship with AI, but developers assert that these tools can help users learn social skills better, observe their own emotions or thinking patterns, manage their own stress, and strive to improve their emotional health.

  In addition, since these AI models can imitate human voice, speech patterns, appearance and even personality, potential users are worried that people with ulterior motives will use these tools to commit fraud, identity theft or other criminal acts. And this is the problem that the industry is still trying to solve.

  Forbes website emphasizes that through strict authentication, such as two-factor authentication, retina scanning, strict government regulations on data privacy, and users’ more cautious sharing of some data with AI platform, the above AIGC tools are expected to provide users with a series of highly innovative and useful functions safely and effectively in the future. (Reporter Liu Xia)

PFA Su Chao Team of the Season: Joe

Live on May 9, PFA (Professional Players’ Union) selected the best team of Su Chao season, and seven Celtic players were selected, including Joe Hart, Guqiao Hengwu and flag bearer Lian Yang.

PFA Su Chao Team of the Season

Goalkeeper: Joe Hart (Celtic)

Defenders: Taylor (Celtic), Starfelt (Celtic), Vickers (Celtic), Tavernier (Wanderer).

Midcourt: Tillman (Ranger), McGregor (Celtic), flag bearer pitying Yang (Celtic)

Forward: Guqiao Hengwu (Celtic), Van Wien (motherwell), Luis Lopez (Aberdeen).

(Mu Zi)

Reporting/feedback

Xuzhou Cadillac XT5 price reduction information! The latest offer 242,700, the car is sufficient

[Autohome Xuzhou Discount Promotion Channel] Good news! In order to give back the support of consumers, a grand promotion is currently underway in Xuzhou. This luxury SUV model can now enjoy an amazing discount of up to 130,000 yuan, and the Cadillac XT5 starting from the original price 242,700 is already very competitive. Seize this rare opportunity and click "Chatti Car Price" in the quotation form to make your car purchase dream come true at a lower price. Take action now!

徐州凯迪拉克XT5降价信息!最新报价24.27万,现车充足

The Cadillac XT5 attracts attention with its unique design charm. The front face is made of the Cadillac family’s signature diamond cutting process. The air intake grille is like a delicate shield, and with the streamlined body, it shows the perfect fusion of luxury and power. The overall style is tough and elegant, and every detail reflects the designer’s deep understanding and pursuit of luxury sports SUVs.

徐州凯迪拉克XT5降价信息!最新报价24.27万,现车充足

The Cadillac XT5 is elegantly proportioned with its refined side design. The body size is 4813mm*1903mm*1682mm and the wheelbase is 2857mm, ensuring a spacious interior space and good stability. The front and rear wheels are 1645mm, reflecting a balanced front and rear counterweight. The tire size is 235/65 R18, and it is matched with a unique wheel design, which not only enhances the driving stability, but also gives the vehicle a modern and dynamic atmosphere. Overall, the XT5’s side lines are smooth and full of power, highlighting the style and dynamic of a luxury SUV.

徐州凯迪拉克XT5降价信息!最新报价24.27万,现车充足

The interior of the Cadillac XT5 is known for its refined luxury and technological sense. It adopts a steering wheel wrapped in luxury leather to provide a comfortable grip and supports manual up and down + front and rear adjustment to adapt to the needs of different drivers. The 8-inch high definition touch screen on the center console integrates multimedia system, navigation and phone functions, which is convenient and intuitive to operate. The seats are designed with a combination of imitation leather and genuine leather. The front seats are equipped with heating function. The main and passenger seats support multi-directional adjustment, including front and rear, backrest, high and low, and waist support to ensure the comfort of passengers. The configuration of USB and Type-C interfaces is also quite thoughtful, which not only facilitates data transmission, but also provides convenience for passengers’ electronic devices. Overall, the interior design of the XT5 fully reflects its quality and practicality as a luxury SUV.

徐州凯迪拉克XT5降价信息!最新报价24.27万,现车充足

The Cadillac XT5 is equipped with a powerful 2.0T engine with a maximum power of 174 kilowatts and a torque output of 350 Nm. This engine can release 237 horsepower and is paired with a 9-speed manual transmission to ensure smooth and efficient driving.

Overall, Autohome owners are full of praise for the exterior design of the Cadillac XT5, believing that it not only meets the aesthetics of young people, but also shows a unique sense of power and sportiness. For drivers who pursue individuality and quality, the XT5 is undoubtedly their favorite car choice.

"Doll Agent" strikes and picks up the cross-species love in the history of movies.

  "Life is precious, but the price of love is higher". The greatness of love lies in that it can cross age, gender and even species.

  The story of love and killing between man and beast is not uncommon in movies, and the most famous one should be the series of King Kong. Under the setting sun, King Kong and the beautiful women enjoyed the sunset scene together, which was simply beautiful.

  Today, let’s take stock of the cross-species romantic love in the movie.

  This film is the best of the classics. Edward is a robot. He has a human mind, but he has a pair of scissors hands and lives alone in the castle.

  The man who broke into the castle took him home and let him enter the human world. Simple Edward fell in love with the hostess, and the hostess was slowly attracted by Edward’s kindness.

  However, Edward is not human after all. He always does something wrong and makes a series of accidents. His neighbors’ attitude towards Edward has changed from liking to hating. Edward painfully discovers that perhaps he is doomed not to belong to this world.

  How can I hug you if I have a pair of scissors hands? Fairy tales are too beautiful, but reality is always too noisy.

  Arisha, the hostess, is a Sargam. She does cleaning work in a government laboratory. One day the laboratory sent a mysterious jar full of water. Arisha was surprised to find that there was a strange creature in the jar, which was half man and half fish.

  The government only wants to treat mermaid as an experiment, but Arisha, with the help of his friends, risked his life to save mermaid. The scene where they turned the bathroom into the bottom of the water and kissed each other was fascinating.

  As long as we embrace bravely, we can fight against the whole world. Love has thousands of forms like water. You can’t touch it, but it can always gently surround you.

  A very romantic film, you must watch it with the people you love.

  Lars, a bachelor, seems to have some social obstacles and is always a loner. He has a girlfriend named Bianca. She is not human but an inflatable doll. …

  Don’t be confused by the name of the film, it’s actually a very sad story. Inflatable dolls are just themselves who are afraid of crowds. Hans who lost Bianca finally found himself, and the way for people to bid farewell to loneliness is to love each other.

  This is a film that is a mixture of acrimony and eccentricity, fun and warmth. Although the film is a bit odd and even absurd idealism, the overall tone is full of warmth and carries dreams and hopes.

  4. He is a Dragon (2015, Russia)-Man and Dragon

  The brain hole of the fighting nation is really big. In "He is the Dragon", the love between the dragon and the human has indeed captured the hearts of a group of sisters.

  "He is a Dragon" has cool special effects, exquisite pictures, beautiful medieval style, rich content description, grand scenes and great momentum, which reproduces the highest realm of fighting national film art and creates a fantastic and mysterious color for the film. The combination of dynamic and static content of the film, coupled with the ethereal melody of the atmosphere, will show the ultimate "aestheticism" in the whole vision and hearing.

  The love between man and robot is described in many movies, such as She and Mechanical Ji, but only this one is more representative.

  In the film, Jiro’s girlfriend is a robot, not only cute but also sexy. More importantly, the robot sister can sacrifice herself to protect Jiro in times of crisis, which is simply the perfect match for her ideal girlfriend.

  This is another masterpiece of director Guo Zairong after My Barbarian Girlfriend, which also continues the plot mode of strong women and weak men, but his girlfriend is upgraded to a robot.

  Compared with the first two films of "The Barbarian Girlfriend Trilogy", the film integrates the sci-fi plot through time and space on the basis of pure love theme, which makes the love between college students and robots finally write a miracle and make people cry.

  This film is based on the original work of the same name by Yuegu Ji, and it is a proper story of pure love.

  I believe that after reading the female host’s vigorous skill and the prompt at the beginning of Xiaole, everyone guessed it. This is a romantic story about "the cat’s gratitude". The story is like a white lady who repays Xu Xian’s kindness, except that the cat has no magic and only blazing love.

  The love between her and him is so simple that people can’t help but smile. However, the owner’s body is only the life span of a cat. When I met Hirosuke, I spent all my strength to love him, but it was time to say goodbye and erase his memory.

  "You will never see when I love you the most, because I love you the most only when I can’t see you." Such a life-and-death parting is sour, but it brings hope, because she said, "cats have nine lives, so I still have eight chances to meet you." Until then, let’s live well in a corner of the world. " "She in the Sunward" brought out the message not to lose heart in love and cured many viewers.

  Although the story is cliche, it is still a movie worth watching as a whole, especially you can get different jokes from the details.

  A doomsday love story with excellent rhythm and excellent director, as well as excellent sense of humor, romance and optimism.

  It seems that as long as people are handsome, whether you are a zombie or a vampire in Twilight, it is not too difficult to talk about love.

  8. Hybrid between Man and Animal (Spain, 2009)-Man and Unknown Creatures

  A couple, both biologists, created a new creature through gene recombination technology. Because the genes of female scientists are used, the new creature is her child in a sense, and there is a feeling similar to love between them.

  This film is similar to the palace-level horror film "The Fly", and both of them are gene sci-fi movies full of warning. For two hours, the film tested the endurance of the audience’s stomach and brain. From depressing colors to weird soundtracks, this film permeates the essence of horror movies into every detail.

  Hybridization of Man and Animal interrogates the ethics of scientists on the lonely road of scientific search. The film unabashedly impacts the audience’s moral bottom line with an alternative mode beyond imagination.

  9. Doll Agent (2018, China)-People and Dolls

  The movie "Doll Agent", which will land on Tencent video on August 21, 2018, tells the story of the emotional entanglement between human beings (loser reporters) and dolls (beauty agents) and creates a fantasy romantic city legend.

  The loser reporter wanted to get an exclusive headline to follow the night woman, and the two first met in the street, because they didn’t know each other because of misunderstanding. Surprised, the elegant, beautiful and vigorous female host became the 100% heart goddess of the male host.

  The furthest distance in the world is when I stand by your side and you don’t remember that I love you.

  They are controlled by the greedy doll group, and they have experienced many difficulties and tests of life and death. Are they shattered or will they stay together in the end? Will the relationship between human beings and artificial intelligence be accepted by everyone?

  What will be the final outcome? Lock Tencent video on August 21, and it will be clear at first sight.

  "Doll Agent" and "Beautiful Love Edition" forecast the romance coming, with a warm reminder: single dog should make first-class preparations in advance.

  (Tencent Video Link: https://v.qq.com/x/cover/12hheve8j5fwo80/n0758fm0r2k.html? )

"Shukebeta" has become the trademark of pet rat food "fairy tale king" Zheng Yuanjie is busy defending rights.

  Zheng Yuanjie

  Recently, Zheng Yuanjie, the "King of Fairy Tales", published a long article in Weibo, which mentioned the story of maintaining intellectual property rights in Nanjing. In an interview with the Yangzi Evening News reporter, Zheng Yuanjie also shared his many years’ experience and experience in safeguarding rights.

  "Shunk Beta" became a brand of pet feed.

  Zheng Yuanjie, 64, has lost a lot of weight and her blood pressure is normal. The monthly magazine The King of Fairy Tales, which he has been writing for 34 years, has sold more than 200 million copies. The stories of Cpaing, Lu Xixi and Shuke and Beita have now begun to influence the fifth generation of young readers.

  Now, apart from writing every day, a large part of his energy is devoted to protecting intellectual property rights, which has become a part of his life. "The infringement of trademarks and trade names on me is very serious, so serious that more than 1,000 people have been registered maliciously. It takes at least three years for each rights protection to succeed. No writer has faced such a large-scale book piracy like me, especially trademarks and trade names. "

  "I found this infringement very accidental. Some readers complained to me that the quality of Shukebeta brand rat food bought by hamsters at home is not very good. " Zheng Yuanjie told reporters that he has been defending his rights for a year and has not solved it. "In fact, a business like this can come to me for cooperation, and I have to authorize it."

  The reporter logged into official website, Jiangsu Collaborative Pharmaceutical Bioengineering Co., Ltd., and saw that "Shukebeta experimental animal feed, rat feed and SPF transgenic mouse food" and other products are still on sale.

  On June 15th, 2018, Zheng Yuanjie submitted to the State Trademark Review and Adjudication Board an application for invalidation of the "Shukebeta" trademark maliciously registered by Jiangsu Collaborative Pharmaceutical Bioengineering Co., Ltd.. According to the legal time procedure, the State Trademark Review and Adjudication Board will make a matter of justice on the application for invalidation of the "Shukebeta" trademark submitted by Zheng Yuanjie recently.

  Zheng Yuanjie also found that "Jiangsu Collaborative Pharmaceutical Bioengineering Co., Ltd." not only infringed its intellectual property rights in the trademark field, but also maliciously registered "Nanjing Shukebeta Pet Products Co., Ltd." on November 18, 2015, and the trade name (enterprise name) also infringed his intellectual property rights.

  On July 17th, 2018, Zheng Yuanjie reported the trademark infringement of "Nanjing Shukebeta Pet Products Co., Ltd." to Nanjing Municipal Market Supervision Administration and Jiangsu Provincial Market Supervision Administration.

  Defending rights for 30 years, reciting the Trademark Law.

  Zheng Yuanjie said that he is also a serious person in his life. In the 42-year writing career, I have been struggling for rights protection for 30 years, and there are many dramatic rights protection stories. "In the 1980s, a publishing house in Hunan published Fairy Tales of the Zheng Yuanjie Zodiac. At that time, my fans in the printing house came to tell me that in order to conceal royalties, the printing quantity was wrong. After the negotiation, the other party had to return it. "

  The struggle against piracy began in 1986, and in recent years, we have encountered "new opponents" in view of trademark and trade name problems arising from infringement. His characters "Cpaing" and "Lu Xixi" have become popular candidates for registered trademarks. On February 28th, 2018, Zheng Yuanjie spent 14 years defending his rights until the National Trademark Review and Adjudication Board declared the trademark of Pipiru, which was registered maliciously by "Zhengzhou Pipiru Western Restaurant", invalid.

  Last year, a company in Beijing used the homonym "Luxixi" trademark to sell cooked food such as chicken legs next to "Lu Xixi", and its trademark was revoked, causing concern. This is the first trademark that was declared invalid because of homophonic among the five trademarks of fairy tale characters written by Zheng Yuanjie.

  The discovery of infringement also made Zheng Yuanjie laugh and cry. One day in 2016, Zheng Yuanjie was stopped by a saleswoman in a supermarket in Beijing. She said to Zheng Yuanjie with a toothpick and a paper plate filled with food: "Sir, please taste the bittern (Luxi)." Seeing that I shook my head, she added, "You don’t like the sausage? I’ll change your collarbone? "

  Zheng Yuanjie told reporters that he was forced to be an "expert" by rights protection. "I can recite the Trademark Law of People’s Republic of China (PRC) by heart. As a writer, shouldn’t you recite the Song of Eternal Sorrow? "

  Zheng Yuanjie often made statements in court as a third person, and he also compiled these statements and published them as Zheng Yuanjie Court Statements. "It is effective to protect intellectual property rights from dolls. I hope that by popularizing the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Trademark Law to children in China, children will grow up to be a generation that despises plagiarism and advocates innovation. "

  He once helped Jiangsu public security to solve a major piracy case of 10 million levels.

  Zheng Yuanjie said that he generally has two ways to report, one is to report to the e-commerce platform that sells the book, and the other is to report to the national office of "eliminating pornography and illegal publications".

  What surprised him most was that an ordinary report did not expect to lead to a major case. In February, 2019, Zheng Yuanjie reported that two companies in Beijing sold pirated books of "The Story of Pipiru" through online transactions and logistics delivery, which infringed their copyrights.

  In August this year, the case of pirated books was solved. The police in Huai ‘an, Jiangsu Province arrested 14 suspects and found out that more than 1 million pirated books were produced and sold, involving more than 10 million yuan, and 21 publishers were infringed.

  The relevant person in charge of the "anti-pornography and illegal publications" office in Jiangsu Province introduced that the modus operandi of the case was hidden, and genuine pirated books were mixed and sold, which was difficult to identify. Pirated booksellers also put fake anti-counterfeiting labels on them, which are indistinguishable to the naked eye, and also found manufacturers who make anti-counterfeiting labels to identify them with professional equipment.

  How did Zheng Yuanjie discover the clue of this major piracy case? He told reporters, "My books are generally 4-5 fold when they are approved, plus labor costs, postage, etc., it is impossible to sell them at a discount of less than 50%. I found that an online shop sold my books at a 50% discount, so I bought a few books and found them pirated after I came back for identification. "

  Zheng Yuanjie said with a smile, "I used to stay at the scene to fight against pirated books. Now, with this method, I can fight piracy at a very low cost without leaving home." After 30 years of cracking down on piracy, what Zheng Yuanjie feels most is that the cost for writers to crack down on piracy is getting lower and lower, and it is getting easier and easier to safeguard intellectual property rights. (Yangzi Evening News reporter Zhang Nan)