Alibaba Group has introduced a range of AI-powered technologies at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), including an intelligent in-car cockpit system, a new line of smart glasses, and tools developed with global partners for enterprise and urban use. All offerings run on the company’s large language model platform, Qwen.
“The innovations underscore Alibaba’s growing role as a leader in applied generative AI, delivering intelligent solutions that are not only technologically advanced but deeply integrated into everyday experiences and industrial workflows,” said Jingren Zhou, CTO of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.
For automotive use, Alibaba partnered with Qualcomm and Banma to develop a multimodal cockpit solution built on Qwen’s visual and language capabilities. The system operates on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8397 platform and supports natural voice commands for tasks such as booking restaurants, purchasing tickets, and navigating traffic.
At its core is Banma’s assistant, Yan AI, which uses Qwen to understand voice input, process visual cues, and anticipate user needs. For example, it can suggest music during long drives or adjust cabin temperature automatically.
Alibaba also highlighted how other companies are using Qwen. Lighting company Signify, for instance, developed a generative AI agent for its Interact City Flex platform, which controls street lighting systems. The AI tool helps users manage lighting through natural language and can detect issues and recommend solutions to improve energy use and maintenance.
In the wearables space, Alibaba launched Quark AI Glasses, its first pair of smart eyewear. Designed for daily use, the glasses feature hands-free calling, real-time translation, and meeting transcription. The device also connects with other Alibaba services. For example, users can access Amap for navigation, check prices on Taobao, or receive travel alerts from Fliggy, all using voice commands.
The glasses, powered by Qwen’s multimodal AI, are set for release in China by the end of 2025. They mark Alibaba’s move to bring AI tools into personal and work settings.
Alibaba said the Qwen model series has surpassed 400 million downloads, with more than 140,000 models built on the platform.