Shopping on E-commerce is Outdated: This is the New Way in China

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - China’s technology giant, Alibaba, is reportedly preparing to integrate its artificial intelligence (AI) platform Qwen with the Taobao marketplace to deliver a conversational shopping experience. With this new system, users will no longer need to search for items using keywords or browse product lists one by one. Consumers will simply be able to speak with AI agents in the Qwen app to search for, compare, and purchase products directly. According to sources familiar with the plans, the Qwen app will connect to the entire catalogue of Taobao and Tmall, which boasts more than 4 billion products. Not only that, the AI system will also be equipped with a “skills library” that enables the AI to assist with logistics processes and after-sales services following transaction completion. Citing Reuters on Monday (11/5/2026), Alibaba is also said to leverage users’ shopping history data to provide more personalised product recommendations tailored to individual preferences. On the other hand, Taobao will introduce a Qwen-based AI shopping assistant equipped with virtual try-on features for virtually trying on products, as well as price tracking for up to 30 days. Alibaba’s step demonstrates the rapid development of China’s e-commerce industry, which is beginning to incorporate AI directly into the shopping transaction process. This model is considered different from Western e-commerce platforms, which remain more cautious in fully adopting AI. Amazon, for instance, has so far only used AI to enhance the shopping experience within their platform and has not fully handed transaction control to AI. Meanwhile, Shopify has opted to open access to external AI agents rather than building a consumer AI platform integrated directly into their system.