AI apps soar in China as Lunar New Year giveaway battle boosts user growth
Tech firms score win as AI assistants become part of holiday consumption – from buying food and booking travel to planning entertainment
During the period, Alibaba Group Holding’s AI app Qwen saw nearly 200 million orders placed, according to data released by the company on Monday. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
Among the users were more than four million people aged 60 and above who completed purchases within two to three exchanges with the Qwen chatbot instead of navigating multiple apps, Alibaba said.
“It is becoming a new custom during the Spring Festival for users to buy food and beverages, book flights and hotels, and purchase movie and attraction tickets through Qwen,” Alibaba said on the official WeChat account of the Qwen app.
Meituan, the on-demand delivery giant and a major rival of Alibaba, said more than 100 million people used its AI assistant Xiaotuan to plan holiday itineraries between February 12 and 22.
The extensive adoption reflects how Chinese tech giants are winning acceptance for AI-powered services, fuelled by multibillion yuan promotional campaigns amid the heated domestic race for AI commercialisation.