Alibaba Group has opened “Alibaba Wonder on Ice,” an interactive public installation in Milan’s Piazza del Castello Sforzesco, showing how artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technology could shape retail experiences during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
“Alibaba and the IOC share a simple belief together: technology should enable the Olympic Games to be more exciting, accessible, sustainable and connected,” said Joe Tsai, chair of Alibaba Group. “With the power of AI, we are moving from ‘Cloud Olympics; toward “Intelligent Olympics”, as AI helps us work better, make smarter decisions, and connect more meaningfully.”
Set against Sforza Castle and near Via Dante, the installation turns a busy public space into a working display of digital commerce tools. The showcase highlights how AI can support immersive and personalized shopping experiences that respond to individual choices in real time.
“Together with Alibaba, we’re not only ensuring the Games remain efficient and sustainable, but also remain engaging through sports media technology to audiences, athletes and fans worldwide,” said Kirsty Coventry, president of the International Olympic Committee.
At the center of the installation is an AI-guided journey that blends physical and digital retail. Visitors are asked to share simple preferences, such as their favorite Milano Cortina 2026 sport. An AI agent uses this information to guide them through the space.
Visitors can also take a photo to create a real-time digital avatar, which personalizes the experience further. The AI agent then suggests clothing, fragrance and makeup based on the visitor’s inputs. As selections are made, the display changes, showing how AI-powered retail can move beyond static catalogs to interactive and adaptive formats.
Each visit ends with a personalized AI-generated video, where the visitor’s avatar appears as the main character in a digital gala setting.
The system runs on Alibaba’s AI and cloud tools, including its Qwen3 large language and vision models, Wan 2.2 image-to-video model and Taobao Vision shopping solution, supported by its global cloud infrastructure.
The 40-meter installation features two main structures.
The Snow Globe is a spherical pavilion used as an interactive space during the day. At night, it becomes a projection surface for AI-generated visuals.
The Crystalized Skirt Building is a sculptural structure inspired by frost and snowflakes. It houses the AI-powered virtual retail experience.
The structures use recyclable materials and are designed to leave no permanent impact on the historic plaza.
The installation will be open to the public from Feb. 7 to 22, 2026, during the Olympic Winter Games, and from March 6 to 15, 2026, during the Paralympic Winter Games.