Alibaba Embeds Qwen AI into Taobao to Launch Agentic Shopping Agents
BABA•Alibaba plans to embed its Qwen AI large-language model into Taobao, launching autonomous agentic shopping agents that can browse, compare and purchase items for users. The rollout to select merchants this quarter aims to enhance engagement metrics and increase transaction volumes on China’s top e-commerce marketplace.
1. Integration of Qwen AI into Taobao
Alibaba will integrate its proprietary Qwen AI model into Taobao’s search and recommendation systems to power autonomous shopping agents. These agents are designed to understand user preferences, negotiate prices, and execute purchases without manual input, marking a leap in consumer-facing AI functionality.
2. Rollout Plan and Potential Impact
The agentic shopping feature is slated to launch with a pilot group of merchants this quarter, with broader availability planned by year-end. Alibaba expects the new service to boost user engagement, shorten purchase cycles, and drive higher transaction volumes across its e-commerce ecosystem.
