Alibaba Cloud is accelerating the deployment of artificial intelligence across a broad range of industries in China, from autonomous driving to smart healthcare and next-generation e-commerce experiences.
At its recent AI Dynamics Conference in Beijing, Alibaba Cloud announced that its proprietary large language model (LLM) Qwen has become one of the most widely adopted AI models by enterprises in China. Major Internet companies, commercial banks, automotive and mobile device brands in China are using Tongyi family models, including the large language model Qwen and the video foundational model Wan, to enhance productivity, automate operations and deliver better customer experiences.
“The enduring value of AI lies in its ability to redefine productivity across sectors,” said Liu Weiguang, President of Public Cloud Business and Senior Vice President of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. “Moving forward, we will harness our globally leading AI infrastructure and large models to accelerate the adoption of AI that will drive the transformation of global industries and communities.”
As of January 2025, over 290,000 customers across industries – from robotics and automotive to healthcare and education – have adopted Qwen family models via its generative AI platform, Model Studio to drive digital transformation.
Transforming Industries with Practical AI Applications
Alibaba Cloud’s AI technology is being embedded into everyday devices and systems, powering immersive experiences and greater automation. In consumer electronics, for example, leading AR brand RayNeo, has integrated Qwen into its latest generation of smart glasses. The device features an AI-powered voice assistant that redefines wearable tech and enables context-aware, multi-turn conversations, real-time AR content access, and seamless voice-based control.
In the retail sector, e-commerce platform Dingdong has adopted Qwen via Alibaba Cloud’s one-stop generative AI development tool, Model Studio for tailored AI solutions. Its AI assistant, “DingXiaoDong,” handles tasks such as pre-sales consultations, product recommendations, logistics optimization and AI customer support. By using Alibaba’s model instead of building one from scratch, the company cut model inference costs by over 70%.
Meanwhile, the automotive industry is experiencing a shift from electrification to intelligent operations. Smart EV maker NIO is leveraging Qwen and Alibaba Cloud’s infrastructure to enable a more superior and engaging smart cockpit experience. Its in-car AI assistant, NOMI, now handles multi-turn conversations in natural language and seamlessly switches responses between different topics. NIO is also exploring Alibaba Cloud ’s AI coding assistant, Lingma, to accelerate R&D in advanced automotive technologies.
Smart driving solutions provider Horizon Robotics co-developed a lakehouse architecture on Alibaba Cloud’s infrastructure to optimize training for autonomous driving models. The collaboration has significantly improved task orchestration and recovery times for large-scale model training.
Real-Time AI in Robotics and Healthcare
Robotics companies are tapping Alibaba Cloud’s edge-cloud architecture to build intelligent machines that interpret complex commands and operate autonomously. Youlu Robotics, for example, has integrated Qwen into its cleaning robots, enabling them to make autonomous decisions and respond to voice commands in real time.
In healthcare, Microcraft backed by Hong Kong-listed Microware Group Limited uses Qwen and Alibaba Cloud’s infrastructure to bridge language and system gaps in local medical systems. The company connects wearable devices, like blood pressure cuffs and pulse oximeters, to its platform, enabling real-time health monitoring and automatic report generation. Conversations between doctors and patients are transcribed and analyzed using multi-modal models to enhance communication and diagnostic accuracy.
Building a Thriving AI Ecosystem with Model Studio and MCP
Alibaba Cloud’s Model Studio platform has incorporated Model Context Protocol (MCP) to accelerate AI development in China. Often likened to a “USB-C connector” for AI, MCP will enable seamless integration between large models and real-world data from over 50 services–including the navigation app Amap and Elastic Desktop Service.
With MCP, developers can set up AI Agents in just 5 minutes, without the need for manual resource management or deployment work. The protocol is designed to streamline the development of intelligent applications across various sectors.
Alibaba Cloud also unveiled a multi-year initiative to foster a collaborative AI ecosystem in China, spanning infrastructure, models, data, tools, applications, and delivery. Over the next three years, it aims to serve one million customers and help generate over RMB 10 billion in business opportunities. Participating partners will receive access to customized cloud resources, a commercialization roadmap, and full lifecycle support.
This initiative builds on Alibaba Group’s commitment to long-term technology investment. In February, the company pledged to invest RMB 380 billion (US$ 53 billion) in AI and cloud infrastructure over the next three years. Alibaba Cloud currently operates a global infrastructure network with 87 availability zones across 29 regions.
