Ant Group is testing an overhaul to its Alipay super app that would introduce an AI agent interface, a major escalation in its battle for users with archrival WeChat.
Hangzhou-based Ant will roll out a design that lets users ask the Alipay AI to book a car ride, order coffee or arrange takeout ¡ª by typing or speaking their requests, according to people familiar with its plans and a video demo seen by Bloomberg News. The assistant, pronounced ¡°Ah Bao¡± in Chinese, will also be able to conduct money-management tasks like buying mutual funds with user authorization, the people said, requesting not to be named because the information is private.
Ant¡¯s impending update reflects a broader trend sweeping the AI arena. The convenience of artificial intelligence agents ¡ª tools that can conduct complex tasks on a user¡¯s behalf ¡ª is now the prevailing focus for the industry, and platforms like Alipay and Tencent Holdings¡¯ WeChat aim to deliver on that promise. The so-called super-apps are already plugged into every aspect of daily life in China, from paying utility bills to booking travel or entertainment, and the country¡¯s population has shown eagerness for such services with its embrace of the OpenClaw framework for homemade AI agents.
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