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Ben Jiang

Eunice Xu

Alibaba Group Holding is integrating its flagship AI assistant Qwen into its biggest e-commerce platforms, betting that the future of online shopping lies in fluid conversations rather than rigid search terms.
Using the Qwen app, shoppers are able to find, compare and purchase products from Taobao and Tmall’s 4-billion-item inventory via text or voice chat, Alibaba said in a statement on Monday.
Taobao has also launched a Qwen-powered shopping assistant, which was trained on the platform’s extensive product listings, and a massive database of customer reviews that can provide instant answers to shopping-related queries.
The Qwen assistant also features virtual try-ons and a price-comparison tool that was designed to help users secure better deals and make more informed buying decisions, according to the statement.
Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
The move underscores Alibaba’s accelerating AI push, as it seeks to revamp its flagship platforms with new technology. Taobao, China’s largest e-commerce app and the firm’s crown jewel, boasted more than 950 million monthly active users as of February, according to analytics firm QuestMobile.
In a test done by an SCMP reporter, the Qwen app was able to follow on an initial general inquiry for a laptop, and then narrow down the selection according to budget, performance, specs, and type of brand to provide a direct recommendation that could be ordered from the AI chatbot.
The process was done by simply talking with the chatbot, which was able to search, browse and summarise Taobao’s product listings and the relevant information. It then presented its recommendations in a streamlined way, thus saving users the hassle of manually going through all the steps.
Separately, Taobao’s Qwen-backed AI shopping assistant was quick to handle questions such as “list all my recent orders that are still in transit” or “find me a lightweight backpack that costs below 800 yuan (US$118)”.
One 24-year-old freelance designer based in Shanghai surnamed Gao said that he does not feel that the addition of AI was a necessity for him, but added that the function might be helpful for the elderly.
“AI helps me analyse work materials and draft content, but for shopping I know my way around – so having AI order for me wasn’t necessary,” he said.
Nevertheless, Chinese technology firms have been embracing a trend that saw many betting that users will increasingly delegate tasks to AI agents that are able to both make recommendations and complete transactions.
Beijing-based Meituan, which competes with Alibaba in food delivery and on-demand services, has added a virtual AI assistant called Xiaotuan, placing it prominently at the centre of the app’s bottom navigation bar.
The Xiaotuan assistant also helps users find and give local restaurant recommendations through natural language, and is connected to Meituan’s large pool of merchants for order placements.
Meanwhile, Chinese online travel platform Ctrip also introduced an AI-backed trip planner that could generate a whole journey plan, only requiring the user to provide basic information including their preferred destination, duration, and travel preferences.


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Tech

Move underscores strategy by China’s technology firms to revamp their flagship e-commerce platforms via an accelerating AI push.


Move underscores strategy by China’s technology firms to revamp their flagship e-commerce platforms via an accelerating AI push


China

Taobao and Tmall Group

Ctrip

Meituan

Alibaba taps into China’s ‘chat to buy’ trend via Qwen AI and Taobao integration

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Move underscores strategy by China’s technology firms to revamp their flagship e-commerce platforms via an accelerating AI push.

Move underscores strategy by China’s technology firms to revamp their flagship e-commerce platforms via an accelerating AI push.