Alibaba International is set to transform the global sourcing landscape with the launch of its AI-powered conversational sourcing engine, debuting this September. This pioneering technology promises to streamline the sourcing process for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), making it more intuitive and efficient than ever before.
A New Era in B2B Sourcing
The new sourcing engine, dedicated to B2B e-commerce, leverages the latest advancements in AI technology to synthesize vast quantities of information and interpret sourcing needs using natural language processing. It matches buyers with products and suppliers with unprecedented accuracy, providing advanced tools for seamless sourcing decision-making. Fine-tuned with over one billion product listings and industry-specific knowledge, this engine addresses the complexities inherent in traditional B2B e-commerce navigation.
Kuo Zhang, President of Alibaba.com, shared insights during media interviews in Paris:
“Traditional search engines evaluate web page importance through interlinking, credibility, and ad spend. In this AI era, the B2B sourcing engine offers an intuitive and organic way to query, as well as rapidly and accurately match business buyers and business sellers based on their proven track record.”
Key Features of the AI-Powered Sourcing Engine
- Intuitive, Predictive, and Conversational Interface
Unlike traditional search methods that require buyers and sellers to sift through webpages, Alibaba’s new engine integrates all e-commerce storefronts across the internet. It focuses on understanding natural language and transforming it into professional sourcing requests. The engine can predict sourcing needs and provide suggestions, allowing for complex queries or full documents as inputs, and responding in natural language. - Reconstruction of Information
Traditionally, e-commerce relies on product listings with titles, descriptions, keywords, and pictures. However, business buyers often need to compare multiple suppliers. This AI-powered engine reorganizes such information to enable direct, custom-made, and side-by-side comparisons. - Closing the Loop on Transactions
Beyond building the conversational search function, the ultimate goal is to enable business deals. With 25 years of expertise in digitalizing various trade aspects—products, payments, logistics, customs, and currency exchanges—Alibaba’s AI can now mimic the experience of having a sourcing professional by your side, significantly reducing costs and enabling SMEs to become integral players in the global supply chain.
Continued Commitment to AI Innovation
Last November, Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group introduced its generative AI toolkit, “Aidge,” adopted by approximately 500,000 merchants. With daily API usage reaching 50 million calls, AI has boosted content quality, click-through rates, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction across over 40 e-commerce scenarios, including product listing refinement, marketing, customer service, and automation.
Building the Future of Digital Trade
Since April, Alibaba International has assembled an AI business team of 100 experts and continues to hire new members. This initiative underscores Alibaba’s commitment to supporting the development of global digital trade with AI-powered technology.
For more information about this groundbreaking innovation and to stay updated, visit www.aidc-ai.com.
