Alibaba's B2B wholesale platform 1688 recently held the Zhejiang Province "Platform + Industry" AI matchmaking event in Hangzhou, officially launching multiple AI products and upgrades, aiming to comprehensively empower small and medium-sized enterprises through artificial intelligence technology and improve procurement efficiency.
The core highlights of this launch include the release of a new "1688AI Edition" App, the launch of a free business inquiry tool called "88 Cha," and a comprehensive AI upgrade of the existing "Alibaba 1688" App.
"1688AI Edition" App: A New Tool for Starting a Business and Sourcing Goods
The newly released "1688AI Edition" App is gradually being launched on major mobile app stores and is now fully open to procurement buyers. This new application focuses on entrepreneurial and sourcing scenarios, integrating five core AI functions: AI Search: provides a smarter and more accurate search experience. AI Product Selection: recommends high-quality sources for buyers based on big data and AI algorithms. AI Design: helps merchants with product design and innovation. AI Image Search: supports product searches using images. AI Company Inquiry: integrated with the "88 Cha" feature, allowing buyers to quickly look up company information.
These features cover the entire business process, from opportunity discovery, intelligent recommendation and procurement, to product design and innovation, aiming to improve procurement efficiency and success rate.
"88 Cha": A One-Stop Free Business Information Inquiry
As another highlight of this upgrade, "88 Cha" has been launched on the PC side and is deeply integrated into the 1688 App. It is also available on Alipay and WeChat Mini Programs, supporting users to use it for free across platforms.
A key feature of "88 Cha" is its support for natural language interaction. Users only need to input simple descriptions to quickly inquire about factory certifications, production capabilities, and core strengths. Furthermore, the tool integrates deep research capabilities, capable of quickly generating industry and company research reports to provide decision-making support for buyers.
Comprehensive AI Upgrade: Seamless Integration Between PC and Mobile
This AI capability will be simultaneously applied to both the mobile and PC versions of 1688. In the future, it will continue to iterate based on the interaction characteristics of different terminals and user groups. Through AI technology, 1688 aims to help buyers achieve efficient product selection, accurate factory finding, and easy business operations.
By fully embracing AI, 1688 not only enhances the platform's service capabilities but also provides strong support for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the digital age.