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Chinese conglomerate Alibaba is reportedly planning to integrate its Qwen artificial intelligence platform with its online marketplace Taobao, aiming to promote eCommerce through conversations rather than keyword searches, Reuters reported Saturday (May 9), citing a source familiar with the matter.
Under the reported plan, consumers would be able to browse, compare and purchase items through the Qwen app by talking with an AI agent, instead of manually navigating product listings. Reuters said Qwen would be connected to the Taobao and Tmall catalog of more than 4 billion products.
Reuters added that the integration would be supported by a “skills library” designed to handle logistics and after-sales services, while also making recommendations based on order history and shopping preferences.
Reuters said the push into AI-driven eCommerce highlights a difference between Chinese and Western online shopping platforms. It noted that the Chinese model allows AI to be embedded into live transactions, while platforms in the U.S. are more fragmented.
Reuters pointed to Amazon as an example of a more cautious approach. It said Amazon has used AI to improve shopping within its marketplace but is still considering limits on full autonomy. Reuters also referenced a report that Amazon is weighing a hybrid mode for its Rufus assistant, which would add AI-generated commentary above traditional search results for certain queries. The approach would provide a conversational summary without requiring shoppers to enter Rufus as a standalone experience.
Reuters further noted that Shopify allows the use of external AI agents rather than operating an integrated consumer AI platform. It said Shopify is the only platform simultaneously powering selling within ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google from a single system of record.
Reuters cited Shopify earnings results showing that, during the first quarter of the year, AI-driven traffic to Shopify stores grew eight times year over year. It also said orders from AI-powered searches increased nearly 13-fold.
Research by PYMNTS Intelligence, as cited in the article, suggests that more than a third of Gen Z consumers and so-called AI power users now begin their daily tasks on dedicated AI platforms first, including for content discovery. The research also indicated that this behavior is not simply meant to enhance Google search but to replace it.
As PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster wrote earlier this year, 41% of consumers say they have used dedicated AI platforms for product discovery, while one third of shoppers say they have fully replaced their older methods. Webster wrote that consumers are “shutting the door and leaving them behind.”
Premium gym chains are entering a “golden era” that is ending or already in decline, as rising operating costs collide with shifting consumer preferences toward more flexible, community-based ways to exercise. Long-term memberships are shrinking, margins are pressured by higher rents and facility expenses, and competition from smaller, more personalized…
