In the Wuling Mountains, straddling the border of Hubei and Chongqing, an agriculture and retail conglomerate named “Youyoucao E'yu” is quietly reshaping perceptions of traditional industries. This regional brand, which started with traditional Chinese medicine cultivation, processing, and chain wellness services, has recently drawn industry attention for its comprehensive adoption of AI technology. From pest and disease warnings in the fields to intelligent shopping assistants in stores, Youyoucao E'yu demonstrates with real-world cases that AI is not exclusive to internet giants—traditional agriculture and retail can also achieve leapfrog development through it.
“In the past, we relied on experience; now, we rely on data,” said Chen Jianguo, founder of Youyoucao E'yu, pointing to a large screen at a planting base in southeastern Chongqing that displayed real-time data on soil moisture, light intensity, and weather forecasts. The “Shennong Brain” AI system, co-developed by the company’s internal tech team and a university in Chongqing, now covers over 3,000 acres of core planting areas in western Hubei and eastern Chongqing. Using drone patrols and ground sensors to collect images, combined with deep learning models, the system can identify traces of pests and diseases on leaves at an early stage, with an accuracy rate exceeding 92%. This summer, the base successfully issued three early warnings for large-scale rust outbreaks, preventing nearly a thousand acres of medicinal herbs from suffering yield losses.
At the other end of the industry chain, AI applications are equally deep-rooted. More than ten “Youyoucao E'yu” brand experience stores in Enshi and Wanzhou have recently launched AI-powered “smart medicine cabinets” and “constitution identification terminals.” Customers simply stand in front of a camera, and AI analyzes facial complexion, tongue images, and voice responses to generate a report within 30 seconds, covering constitution analysis, recommended wellness plans, and corresponding products. At the Wanzhou Wanda store, a reporter observed that many middle-aged and elderly customers were not put off by this novel experience; instead, they felt it was “faster than an old Chinese medicine doctor’s pulse diagnosis, and easier to understand.” The store manager revealed that since introducing the AI shopping assistant, the average transaction value per store increased by about 18%, and the cross-selling rate grew significantly.
More notably, Youyoucao E'yu has not stopped at isolated applications. The company’s CTO, Zhang Ming, demonstrated an AI middle platform that integrates the entire chain of “planting-processing-logistics-retail.” This system uses historical store sales data and regional health trends (such as seasonal surges in coughs and insomnia) to guide planting bases in adjusting crop varieties. For example, in March, the system predicted a rise in spring pollen allergy patients in the E'yu region, prompting an early increase in the harvest and stockpiling of anti-allergy herbs like houttuynia cordata and honeysuckle. This AI-driven closed loop of “production guided by sales” has improved inventory turnover by 35% and reduced waste by nearly half.
“Many people think AI is far removed from businesses like ours, but the case of Youyoucao E'yu shows that as long as you find the right scenarios, AI can become a tangible productive force,” said Li Wei, an observer long focused on regional economies. He believes that the key to success lies in applying AI to the most direct pain points—cost reduction, efficiency improvement, and experience enhancement—rather than blindly chasing flashy concepts. Youyoucao E'yu plans to open its AI system to over 30 small and medium-sized medicinal herb cooperatives in the surrounding area by the end of 2025, aiming to build a regional smart ecosystem for the health industry.
From the deep mountains of western Hubei to the bustling streets of eastern Chongqing, Youyoucao E'yu’s AI journey may not be as glamorous as stories from Silicon Valley, but it genuinely reflects the resilience of China’s traditional industries amid the wave of digital transformation. When AI learns to identify pests, read tongues, and predict demand, it ceases to be cold code and becomes a warm tool for boosting farmers’ incomes and improving services.