Alibaba's Qwen App Now Handles Takeout Orders and Travel Plans With Simple Voice Commands
Alibaba's AI Assistant Gets Smarter
Imagine telling your phone "Order me 40 Bawang Cha Ji drinks" and having it done instantly - no app switching required. That's exactly what Alibaba demonstrated today as its Qwen app unveiled deep integration with the company's ecosystem.
Seamless Daily Task Automation
The upgraded Qwen now connects with Taobao, Alipay, AutoNavi navigation, Fliggy travel service, and Taobao Flash Sales. During a live demo, Wu Jia from Qwen's Consumer Business Group showed how voice commands can trigger complex actions across multiple platforms.
"This isn't just about voice recognition," Wu explained. "Qwen understands context and can plan multi-step operations like researching options, comparing prices, and completing purchases - all autonomously."
Technical Breakthroughs Behind the Scenes
The new capabilities stem from significant improvements in three key areas:
- Enhanced coding skills allowing real-time tool creation
- Advanced multimodal understanding (processing text, images and interfaces)
- Dramatically improved context retention for complex task planning
Beyond Shopping: Government Services Too
The integration extends beyond commercial services. Qwen now connects to 50 government functions including visa applications and housing fund management. Need dinner reservations during your trip? The AI can call restaurants through integrated platforms.
A limited test of the "Task Assistant" feature hints at future possibilities - an AI that doesn't just follow orders but anticipates needs like a human assistant would.
Key Points:
- 400+ new functions available in public testing phase
- Voice command integration with major Alibaba services
- Government services now accessible through conversational AI
- Human-like planning capabilities in development
