Alibaba bets on ‘everything app’ Qwen to define AI era for global consumers

Alibaba Group Holding’s new multipurpose artificial intelligence consumer app, Qwen, has the potential to become China’s “super-app” in the AI era in the same way Tencent Holdings’ WeChat defined the mobile internet age, analysts say.

Powered by Alibaba Cloud’s own model series of the same name, Qwen quickly jumped to fourth overall on Apple’s app store for free apps in Hong Kong and fifth in mainland China on its second day of beta testing.

The app, billed as “the best personal AI assistant”, is designed to meet both the professional and personal needs of users, with capabilities including deep research, image generation and slide generation.

Alibaba Cloud is the AI and cloud computing unit of Hangzhou-based Alibaba, owner of the South China Morning Post.

Alibaba’s ultimate goal was to develop not just a simple chatbot but rather an “everything app” – an integrated platform that revolutionised the way users interacted with the digital world – according to Poe Zhao, a Beijing-based tech analyst and founder of the Hello China Tech newsletter.