Alibaba's Qwen AI Becomes Spring Festival Sidekick for Millions
Alibaba's AI Assistant Steals Spotlight During Spring Festival
As fireworks lit up skies across China for Lunar New Year, another phenomenon was quietly revolutionizing holiday traditions: artificial intelligence. Alibaba's Qwen assistant emerged as the unexpected MVP of Spring Festival preparations, helping over 130 million users navigate the busiest shopping and travel season of the year.
Digital Red Packets Meet AI Convenience
The numbers tell a compelling story. In just 11 days leading up to February 17th, Chinese consumers uttered "Qwen, help me" a jaw-dropping 5 billion times. What began as a novel feature has clearly become ingrained in daily life - especially during the holiday crunch.
"We're seeing AI assistance transition from curiosity to necessity," explains Alibaba's Qwen team spokesperson. "During peak periods like Spring Festival when everyone's juggling multiple tasks simultaneously, that one-command convenience makes all the difference."
Movie Madness and Travel Triumphs
The entertainment sector saw particularly dramatic shifts:
- 372x surge in AI-processed movie ticket orders after February 14th
- Small cities led the charge with 782x increases in ticket purchases
- Zhang Yimou's thriller Silent Awakening became the surprise box office favorite booked through Qwen
Transportation wasn't far behind:
- Flight bookings via AI jumped 22x
- Overall travel ticket purchases increased sevenfold
- Nearly half of all orders originated from county-level cities
Breaking Age Barriers With Tech
Perhaps most remarkably, Qwen helped bridge China's digital divide:
- 4 million seniors aged 60+ used AI ordering for their first time
- Simplified voice commands eliminated app navigation frustrations
- County residents embraced tech typically associated with urban centers
The success suggests smart services are finally delivering on promises of accessibility. As one Weibo user commented: "Teaching my grandma to use apps was impossible. Hearing her say 'Qwen buy rice cakes' felt like magic."
Key Points:
- Massive Adoption: Over 130 million users relied on Qwen during Spring Festival preparations
- Entertainment Boom: Movie ticket purchases via AI increased up to 782x in smaller cities
- Travel Transformation: Flight and transportation bookings saw between 7-22x growth
- Inclusive Innovation: Nearly four million elderly users embraced AI assistance for their first time
