Alibaba is integrating its Tongyi Qianwen (通义千问) AI model with Taobao and Tmall, replacing traditional keyword search with conversational shopping. The Tongyi Qianwen app will have direct access to the combined catalog of over 4 billion products, letting users browse, compare prices, and place orders using natural language.
Beyond front-end guidance, the AI agent comes with a "skill library" that can handle logistics tracking and post-sales service, and it offers personalized recommendations based on past orders. Meanwhile, the Taobao app itself will get a shopping assistant powered by Tongyi Qianwen, with new features including virtual try-ons and 30-day price tracking.
US and Chinese e-commerce platforms are starting to diverge in how they apply AI. While Alibaba is letting its AI agent directly handle transactions, Amazon remains cautious about fully automated purchasing, and Shopify is opting to connect with external AI agents rather than building its own integrated consumer AI platform. Meta is also building a shopping agent for Instagram, but takes a different approach.