AIbase report, Alibaba's source factory goods procurement platform 1688 will hold a product launch event on August 20, officially launching a new merchant membership product called "Alibaba.com AI Edition." This product is scheduled to be officially launched in October 2025. At that time, new merchants will be required to activate the AI edition, while the existing basic version of Alibaba.com will be phased out after the transition period.
Before the basic version is discontinued, existing members will automatically get all features of the AI edition and can continue to use current services until their membership expires; if they need to renew after expiration, they will have to activate the AI edition.
At the same time, 1688 will also upgrade its free AI digital employee function for merchants, continuing to provide service guarantees such as "guaranteed customer acquisition and orders" for new merchants, helping them acquire customers, promote orders, and manage operations more efficiently.
