Beijing: Alibaba is preparing to unveil a major integration between its artificial intelligence platform, Qwen, and its online shopping marketplace, Taobao.
This move is designed to transform the online shopping experience from traditional keyword-based searches into AI-powered conversations, according to a source familiar with the decision.
The integration will allow consumers to browse products, compare items, and complete purchases directly through the Qwen app simply by chatting with an AI agent, eliminating the need to manually navigate through product listings on e-commerce platforms.
As part of the initiative, the Qwen app will gain access to the full Taobao and Tmall catalogue, which contains more than four billion products. The system will also be supported by a specialised ‘skills library’ capable of managing logistics operations and after-sales services, creating a more seamless shopping experience for users.
The AI platform is also expected to provide personalised shopping recommendations based on customers’ order histories, purchasing behaviour, and shopping preferences.
Inside Taobao, Alibaba plans to launch a Qwen-powered AI shopping assistant featuring several advanced tools, including virtual try-on capabilities and 30-day price tracking functions that allow users to monitor product pricing trends before making purchases.
Alibaba’s expansion into AI-driven shopping further highlights the widening difference between Chinese and Western e-commerce ecosystems. Chinese platforms are increasingly embedding artificial intelligence directly into live transactions and integrated shopping environments.
In contrast, Western e-commerce companies continue to operate through more fragmented systems. Amazon has introduced AI tools to improve shopping experiences within its marketplace, but remains cautious about allowing fully autonomous AI-driven shopping.
Meanwhile, Canada-based Shopify supports the use of external AI agents instead of running a fully integrated consumer AI platform within its own ecosystem.
Alibaba’s latest AI initiative signals a major shift in the future of online retail, where conversational assistants could increasingly replace traditional search-based shopping.
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