At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2025, Alibaba Group showcased a series of AI-driven innovation, unveiling the next-generation intelligent automotive cockpits, transformative collaborations with global enterprises and its first AI-powered smart glasses.
All powered by Alibaba’s advanced Qwen large language models (LLMs), these breakthroughs demonstrate how AI is moving beyond the lab and into real-world applications across automotive, facility management and consumer wearable technology.
“The innovations underscore Alibaba’s growing role as a pioneer 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.
Alibaba launches next-generation AI cockpit experience
Alibaba has shown its LMM solution, powered by Qwen and plotted explicitly for automotive intelligent cockpits
Alibaba has unveiled its latest large multimodal model (LMM) solution powered by Qwen and specifically designed for automotive intelligent cockpits, developed in collaboration with global semiconductor pioneer Qualcomm and Banma, its intelligent cockpit solution provider.
Built on Alibaba’s Qwen models’ visual understanding and multimodal capabilities, the system runs on Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8397 platform, delivering a more natural, intuitive, and proactive in-car AI experience.
Qwen’s advanced language understanding
At the heart of the system is Yan AI, Banma’s intelligent assistant, which leverages Qwen’s advanced language understanding, visual processing, and contextual reasoning to enable seamless human-vehicle interaction. Drivers can use natural voice commands to reserve restaurant tables, purchase movie tickets, request navigation, or find the fastest route.
Beyond reactive responses, Yan AI anticipates user needs — suggesting adjustments to cabin temperature, recommending music playlists during long drives, making the mobility experience more soothing.
Global firms harness Qwen to drive efficiency and innovation
Alibaba also spotlighted how global industry pioneers are leveraging Qwen to transform their operations
Alibaba also spotlighted how global industry pioneers are leveraging Qwen to transform their operations, from accelerating product innovation to building smarter, more sustainable cities.
For example, Signify, the world's pioneer in lighting, has launched the industry's first GenAI agent powered by Alibaba's self-developed large language model Qwen. By harnessing Qwen's advanced capability to effectively handle complex tasks, the GenAI agent has been integrated into Signify’s connected street lighting system Interact City Flex that monitors, controls and manages street lighting, to further reduce energy consumption while boosting maintenance efficiency.
Powered by Qwen, the upgraded system simplifies operation by allowing users to generate and deploy AI-driven dimming strategies through natural language commands. It also flags anomalies and provides solutions to improve efficiency on facility management and maintenance.
Alibaba’s Qwen model in GenAI Agent
“Digital transformation in urban environments relies on intelligent systems that make city management smarter and more sustainable,” said Hans Nikol, Head of Open Innovation of Signify.
Hans Nikol adds, “By making use of Alibaba’s Qwen model in our GenAI Agent, we’re empowering cities to proactively reduce energy consumption and lower operational costs. This collaboration marks an important step in intelligent city management and underlines our commitment to innovation and our vision for greener, brighter cities.”
Quark AI Glasses: Alibaba’s entry into wearable intelligence
Alibaba has entered the AI wearables market with the debut of Quark AI Glasses, its first self-developed smart eyewear
Alibaba has entered the AI wearables market with the debut of Quark AI Glasses, its first self-developed smart eyewear. Seamlessly powered by the Qwen large language model and Quark’s multimodal AI capabilities, the device is designed to serve as an intelligent, all-day wearable assistant that blends style, comfort, and functionality.
Lightweight and ergonomically designed, Quark AI Glasses support hands-free calling, music streaming, real-time language translation, and meeting transcription — making them ideal for professionals, travellers, and tech-savvy users.
The glasses are engineered to deliver smooth AI-enabled interactions, featuring long battery life and high-quality imaging to ensure a premium user experience.
Deep integration with Alibaba’s ecosystem
A key highlight is the deep integration with Alibaba’s ecosystem. Users can access navigation through Amap’s innovative near-eye display system, optimised for walking and cycling. They can also use Alipay to watch and pay, compare prices on Taobao while shopping, and receive travel alerts from Fliggy — all through voice interactions.
Quark AI Glasses are scheduled for official release in China by the end of 2025, marking a significant step in Alibaba’s vision to bring ambient, context-aware AI into daily life.
Qwen model series
As the Qwen series continues to evolve, Alibaba remains committed to open innovation, empowering developers, businesses, and governments worldwide to build the intelligent future.
With over 400 million downloads and more than 140,000 derivative models created, the Qwen model series has become one of the most widely adopted open-source AI series globally.
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