Alibaba Group Holding has rolled out a major update to its flagship Qwen artificial intelligence app, taking a big step toward turning it into an all-in-one assistant for daily life. The update connects Qwen more deeply with Alibaba’s wide ecosystem, covering everything from online shopping and food delivery to travel bookings and ride-hailing.
The announcement was made at a corporate event held on Thursday in Hangzhou, the capital of eastern Zhejiang province, where Alibaba is headquartered. Wu Jia, vice-president of Alibaba, revealed that Qwen had crossed 100 million monthly active users as of January. Alibaba owns the Post.
Bringing AI Beyond Screens and Into Real Life
According to Wu, the true value of an AI assistant lies in its ability to work not just online, but also in real-world situations. An AI assistant’s ability to “enter the physical world” was as important as its capacity to operate in the digital realm, he said. “It should also help people get things done in everyday scenarios.”
This vision is central to Alibaba’s strategy as it continues to invest heavily in consumer-focused AI tools.
Rapid Growth Since Public Launch
The update builds on Qwen’s strong momentum since it entered public beta in mid-November. Alibaba is clearly moving fast to stay ahead in China’s increasingly competitive consumer AI space.
Qwen became the world’s fastest-growing AI app in November after recording the highest increase in MAU among AI products globally at 149 per cent during that period, according to data from AI product popularity tracker Aicpb.com.
One App for Shopping, Travel, Food, and More
One of the biggest changes is how smoothly Qwen now works across Alibaba’s many services. Users can complete tasks across e-commerce, food delivery, ride-hailing, travel bookings, and even movie tickets using simple voice commands. This removes the need to jump between multiple apps or deal with endless clicks.
Wu shared an example of planning a family trip for the upcoming Lunar New Year. With Qwen, the app can recommend destinations, compare flight prices, book hotels, and suggest places to visit, all in one flow.
“Alibaba’s abundant supply [of services] and [insights into] large quantities of daily transactions across our whole ecosystem give us the competitive edge,” Wu said.
Live Demo Shows Real-World Convenience
During his keynote, Wu demonstrated Qwen’s real-world usefulness by using voice commands to order 40 cups of milk tea from a nearby store and have them delivered directly to the event venue. The only step that required manual input was entering the payment code.
The demonstration highlighted how Qwen can handle complex tasks quickly and smoothly with minimal user effort.
Task Assistant Expands Digital Capabilities
The update also introduced a new “Task Assistant” feature that significantly expands what Qwen can do digitally. According to Wu, Alibaba expects AI to take over up to 70 per cent of digital tasks within the next two years.
Qwen can now manage more than 400 digital tasks. These range from coding and office collaboration to data analysis, reporting, and many other professional activities.
Accuracy Through Trusted Partnerships
To ensure reliable and accurate responses, Alibaba is partnering with professional database providers across several industries. These include medicine, healthcare, finance, law, and academic research.
By combining trusted data sources with its AI capabilities, Alibaba aims to make Qwen not just convenient but also dependable for both everyday users and professionals.
As Qwen continues to evolve, Alibaba is positioning it as a central AI gateway that connects digital tools with real-life needs, all through a single app.
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