Alibaba Upgrades Qwen Into AI Agent

Alibaba upgraded its Qwen chatbot into an AI agent a few weeks ago, positioning it as a personal assistant that can plan itineraries, book tickets, order food, and make payments. The company backed the launch with a 3 billion yuan ($431 million) promotion ahead of Lunar New Year, leveraging its e-commerce ecosystem to offer frictionless services but raising trust and privacy concerns.