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Alibaba’s Quark, China’s most popular AI app, launches ‘deep search’

The upgrade combines the reasoning capabilities of AI models with online search to answer complex user queries

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Alibaba’s Quark app is marketed as an AI super-assistant app. Photo: Handout
Ben Jiangin Beijing
Alibaba Group Holding’s artificial intelligence (AI) app Quark has introduced a “deep search” function, as Chinese tech companies strive to redefine search engines in the AI era.

Unlike conventional search engines that rely on keywords, the “deep search” feature leverages Alibaba’s Qwen AI models by combining reasoning capabilities with online search to deliver accurate responses to complex queries, according to Quark.

The new search engine is the latest consumer-facing AI product from Alibaba, owner of the South China Morning Post, as the Hangzhou-based tech giant seeks to build on the strength of its foundation models to improve app experiences for ordinary users.

Quark “will focus on user needs and continually enhance the deep search function” to establish itself as “an all-around AI assistant”, said Zhang Fan, head of Quark’s search business.

A Quark advertisement seen at an airport in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Photo: Simon Song
A Quark advertisement seen at an airport in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Photo: Simon Song
Described as a super assistant, Quark has quickly become the most popular AI app in China since March, surpassing competitors like Doubao, owned by TikTok parent ByteDance, as well as DeepSeek, according to Aicpb.com, which tracks AI products’ popularity.
Ben Jiang
Ben is a Beijing-based technology reporter for the Post focusing on emerging start-ups. He has previously covered Chinese tech for publications including KrAsia and TechNode.
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