Alibaba brings chat-style shopping to Taobao and Qwen in AI gateway push
Alibaba is integrating its e-commerce platform Taobao with the Qwen AI assistant around a conversational shopping interface. The company aims to build an 'AI gateway' that converts chat directly into purchase flows.
Alibaba has integrated a new conversational interface across its Taobao platform and the Qwen AI assistant, allowing users to handle the entire shopping journey – from recommendation through to checkout – inside a single chat thread. People familiar with the project said the goal is to convert Qwen into an 'AI gateway' that goes well beyond a generic assistant.
Users can now ask Qwen to 'suggest a Mother's Day gift for my mum,' compare options, and complete payment without leaving the conversation. The move is part of Alibaba's broader strategy to claw back ground lost over the past year to US competitors.
Analysts say chat-driven commerce is becoming a fresh competitive battlefield among China's largest retail platforms. JD.com and Pinduoduo are reportedly building similar integrations, while OpenAI continues to pilot AI product recommendations with Walmart in the United States.
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