Alibaba Group has launched an enhanced version of its AI assistant application, Quark. This latest iteration is powered by Alibaba’s cutting-edge Qwen AI reasoning model, which marks a crucial milestone in the company’s strategy to integrate AI across its diverse business platforms.
Quark’s Evolution
Initially launched in 2016 as a web browser, Quark has evolved into a comprehensive AI-driven information services platform, boasting over 200 million users in China and holding the largest market share for AI search. The revamped Quark now integrates advanced functionalities such as AI chatbots, deep thinking, and task execution, transforming it into an all-in-one AI super assistant designed to cater to the work-life needs of its vast user base.
“This upgraded version of Quark is just the beginning. As our model capabilities continue to evolve, we envision Quark as a gateway to endless possibilities where users can explore everything with AI,” said Wu Jia, CEO of Quark and vice president of Alibaba Group.
Competition and Innovation
The launch of Quark’s new version comes amidst intense competition in the AI sector, particularly following the emergence of DeepSeek’s R1 model, which has sent shockwaves across the global tech industry. Alibaba’s Qwen AI model has been touted as a rival to DeepSeek’s offerings, with claims that it outperforms several leading models, including DeepSeek-V3 and OpenAI’s GPT-4o.
In January, Alibaba released Qwen 2.5-Max, asserting its superiority over DeepSeek-V3 and other prominent AI models.
Strategic Partnerships and Investments
Alibaba has also announced a strategic partnership with Manus AI, a Chinese startup specialising in general AI agents. This collaboration aims to leverage Qwen’s open-source AI frameworks to integrate Manus AI’s features into local models and computing infrastructures.
Furthermore, Alibaba has pledged to invest 380 billion yuan in AI and cloud computing infrastructure over the next three years, bolstering its AI development and deployment capabilities.
Despite these ambitious moves, Alibaba’s stock performance has been mixed. The company’s shares in Hong Kong experienced a slight decline following the Quark launch, though Alibaba’s overall strategy and recent partnerships suggest a promising future for its AI initiatives.