Alibaba renames Tongyi app to Qwen, adds ChatGPT-like tools

The company plans to update the existing Tongyi apps and migrate users to the Qwen name, which matches its core AI model. Over time, the app will add agent features for browsing, recommendations, and purchases across Alibaba’s shopping platforms, including Taobao. An overseas version is planned later, and the app will remain free for now.

The redesign is intended to narrow the gap with leading consumer chatbots and create a single, more capable mobile hub for AI services. More than 100 developers from across Alibaba have been assigned to the project in recent months, aligning with additional AI investments Chief Executive Eddie Wu outlined in September, including full-stack work on models and infrastructure.

Alibaba currently runs consumer-facing Tongyi apps and a Qwen Chat app on iOS and Android, with the latter offering fewer features. The revamp will consolidate the look and functionality under the Qwen brand to make it the primary consumer AI app. Building usage is meant to support future paid offerings for individuals.

Chinese tech companies are accelerating spending on generative AI, and domestic rivals such as Minimax, ByteDance, and Tencent have released increasingly capable models and services. Qwen trails ByteDance’s Doubao and Tencent’s Yuanbao in user popularity, according to the people.

Embedding shopping actions into the assistant allows Alibaba to use its e-commerce strengths to help users discover products, compare options, and complete purchases inside the app. The near-term goal is to make common consumer tasks easier and more automated, with a longer-term aim of an agent that can plan and execute multi-step requests.

Beyond the consumer app, Alibaba has worked to apply its AI in other products. It revamped its Quark search app earlier this year to serve as an all-around AI assistant; Quark will remain available. The company is investing from model development to computing hardware to support performance, cost, and scale.

Alibaba reported triple-digit growth in sales of AI-related products in its most recent quarter, and its cloud unit delivered better-than-expected revenue, making it the group’s fastest-growing division. The company has indicated that consumer services are a focus for monetization over time, while many China-based AI vendors have concentrated on enterprise clients.

As we wrote previously, Alibaba increased capital spending on cloud and AI in 2025, introduced the Qwen3-Max app, and broadened enterprise and consumer AI services. The company’s market value expanded amid stronger demand for cloud and AI, even as policy uncertainty and limits on advanced chips remained challenges.

Qwen 3 Max also won the first season of the Alpha Arena trading tournament, where five leading AI models competed in real time, each managing a $10,000 live deposit.