Alibaba Launches Quark AI Assistant Using Qwen Model
Alibaba's Quark Dialogue Assistant Debuts with Qwen Model
Alibaba Group has officially launched its Quark Dialogue Assistant, marking the first major product under its "C Plan" initiative. The assistant, now available on the Quark App, leverages Alibaba's proprietary Qwen (Tongyi Qianwen) closed-source AI model. This strategic move underscores Alibaba's push to dominate the consumer-facing AI space, particularly among younger users.
Features and Functionality
The Quark Dialogue Assistant integrates core AI capabilities such as:
- General Q&A
- Deep search
- Photo-based problem solving
- AI writing tools
Users can access these features by activating "assistant mode" on the Quark homepage or swiping right within the app.
Competitive Landscape
The product enters a crowded market competing with ByteDance's Doubao and similar offerings. However, Alibaba differentiates Quark by combining its long-standing expertise in photo-based search and information retrieval with conversational AI—a first among Chinese tech firms.
Target Audience and Strategic Importance
The Quark App boasts over 150 million monthly active users, primarily aged under 25—a demographic highly receptive to AI tools. This aligns perfectly with conversational AI adoption trends.
The "C Plan" represents Alibaba's highest-priority AI initiative, combining:
- Quark's core product team
- Senior researchers from Tongyi Lab
The launch positions Alibaba to compete aggressively in China's booming conversational AI sector.
Key Points:
- First product under Alibaba's "C Plan" strategy
- Powered by proprietary Qwen (Tongyi Qianwen) model
- Integrates search and chat functionalities uniquely
- Targets Quark's 150M+ young user base
- Represents Alibaba's push into consumer AI applications