Alibaba, the world’s biggest online commerce company from China, has announced the launch of its new AI-powered chatbot, Tongyi Qianwen. The name translates to “seeking an answer by asking a thousand questions.” Essentially, the Chinese term refers to the idea that artificial intelligence can find solutions to complex problems through learning and analysis.

The Sun | Known as “Tongyi Qianwen,” the generative AI of Alibaba will be launched soon.

Furthermore, the bot is powered by natural language processing (NLP) technology which allows it to understand spoken conversations in multiple languages and respond appropriately. It has been designed with customer service in mind and can help users find what they are looking for quickly and easily.

A Rival of Leading Generative AI: ChatGPT

The tech industry is taking Artificial Intelligence (AI) by storm. While Microsoft came up with the idea of OpenIA’s ChatGPT, Google came up with Bard. And both of these are generative AIs.

However, Tongyi Qianwen is all set to be launched as a rival to ChatGPT, another popular chatbot created by Microsoft Research Asia. As well as being able to answer natural language queries, ChatGPT also has the ability to generate creative content. It is this generative capability that makes it stand out from other AI-powered bots and gives it an edge over Tongyi Qianwen.

Nevertheless, Alibaba’s new chatbot does bring some distinct advantages of its own. Firstly, it is designed specifically for customer service applications. This means that customers can get rapid responses to their inquiries about products or services with minimal intervention from human staff. Consequently, customers will be able to use Tongyi Qianwen to get instant feedback.

ABC News | As the world’s leading tech companies are coming up with their own generative AIs, Alibaba’s “Tongyi Qianwen” is one of them.

Additionally, the bot’s NLP technology means it can understand different languages and dialects—something ChatGPT cannot do.

Integration of Tongyi Qianwen With Tmall Genie

To further widen the reach of its AI capabilities, Alibaba has announced that Tongyi Qianwen will be integrated into its voice assistant, Tmall Genie. This is similar to Amazon’s Alexa offering. And could bring the same kind of convenience and accessibility to users in China.

Tongyi Qianwen has been designed with a wide range of applications in mind. Thus, it can be used for:

• Customer service
• eCommerce
• Restaurant ordering and more

BBC | According to the early reports, Tongyi Qianwen will be integrated with Tmall Genie. This will allow customers to give voice commands and receive instant feedback.

Likewise, it could become an invaluable asset for businesses looking to streamline their customer service operations or increase efficiency in other areas.

Parting Thoughts

With Alibaba’s new AI-powered chatbot now available on the market, Chinese businesses can take advantage of the latest artificial intelligence technology. While Tongyi Qianwen may not have the same generative capabilities as ChatGPT, it is more suited to customer service applications. And will be integrated into the popular Tmall Genie for easy access.

If nothing, the launch of Tongyi Qianwen is yet another indication that China is emerging as a leader in the field of artificial intelligence.