Alibaba brings chat-style shopping to Taobao and Qwen amid AI gateway push: source

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding is preparing an overhaul of how local consumers shop online, betting that the next trend will feel more like chatting with an artificial intelligence chatbot rather than typing keywords into a search bar, according to a source.Users of the company’s flagship AI assistant Qwen – one of the most popular in China – would soon be able to use natural language to “talk” with the chatbot app to find and buy items listed on Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall shopping platforms, according to one person familiar with the plan.Taobao would also get a Qwen-backed AI shopping assistant, the person said, adding that the move was part of Alibaba’s broader initiatives to align its businesses with the group’s call for AI adoption. The person requested anonymity as the information is not public.