Chinese IT companies have jumped into competition in AI-based "agentic commerce". Big tech firms such as Alibaba and ByteDance are advancing chatbots from simple conversation tools into commerce agents that can handle shopping and payments.
On Jan. 21, CNBC reported that Alibaba updated its AI chatbot Qwen to let users complete transactions such as ordering food and booking airline tickets without leaving the app. Qwen links with Alibaba e-commerce platforms such as Taobao and Fliggy to support personalised product recommendations and payments. This is a step forward from existing AI that only offered recommendations.
ByteDance also upgraded its AI chatbot Doubao and added automation features such as ticket reservations. Tencent has also introduced an AI agent in the WeChat ecosystem.
Charlie Dai (찰리 다이), a vice president at Forrester, said: "AI agents will become a core element of super apps, and success will depend on integration with payments, logistics and social functions."
Chi-gyu Hwang
delight@d-today.co.kr