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Alibaba Introduces AI Chatbot Tongyi Qianwen

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Alibaba Introduces AI Chatbot Tongyi Qianwen in Response to Global Generative AI Trend
2023 04 17 alibaba 01

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65236848
In a strategic move to capitalize on the rising popularity of generative AI, Chinese technology giant Alibaba has officially launched its own AI chatbot, Tongyi Qianwen. The announcement follows the recent unveiling of similar technologies by tech companies worldwide, with Alibaba positioning Tongyi Qianwen to play a crucial role across its various businesses.

The cloud computing unit at Alibaba revealed plans to integrate the chatbot into the company’s ecosystem in the “near future”, although specific details regarding the timeline remain undisclosed. Tongyi Qianwen, which roughly translates to “seeking an answer by asking a thousand questions,” is set to support both English and Chinese languages.

Initially, Alibaba will introduce Tongyi Qianwen to DingTalk, the company's workplace messaging app. The chatbot's functionalities include transcribing meetings, composing emails, and crafting business proposals. Beyond DingTalk, Alibaba aims to integrate the AI chatbot into Tmall Genie, a smart speaker similar to Amazon's Alexa.

Generative AI has gained significant traction since the release of ChatGPT by Microsoft-backed OpenAI, enabling machines to create content indistinguishable from human work. Alibaba's move aligns with the broader trend in the tech industry, where major players like Microsoft, Google, and Baidu have also entered the AI chatbot arena.

Notably, China's cyberspace regulator recently proposed draft measures for managing generative AI, placing responsibility on companies for the legitimacy of data used to train the technology. This development reflects the increasing regulatory scrutiny of AI advancements in China.

As Alibaba enters the generative AI landscape with Tongyi Qianwen, the global tech industry continues to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape and grapple with the societal implications of increasingly sophisticated AI technologies.



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