Latest news with #CyrilHan
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ant Group 2024 Sustainability Report Highlights AI-Powered Digital Inclusion and New Initiatives From 3 Independent Units
HANGZHOU, China, June 30, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ant Group today published its 2024 Sustainability Report, highlighting its enhanced AI investments in advancing broad-based digital transformation. The report also shares how the group's sustainability commitments are carried onto new journeys of Ant International, Ant Digital Technologies, and OceanBase, three units that became independent following the 2024 reorganization. The Report lays out how Ant Group harnessed new technology tools, expanded partnerships in 2024 to strengthen its 4 sustainability pillars: Technological Innovation, AI-Powered Digital Inclusion, Green and Low-Carbon Development, and Openness & Trustworthiness. "2024 marks the 20th anniversary of Alipay and Ant Group. Over the past two decades, we have remained committed to leveraging innovation to make quality services more accessible for small entrepreneurs and ordinary consumers, so that the business and the life they treasure may flourish because of the work we do," wrote Eric Jing, Chairman of Ant Group and Cyril Han, CEO of Ant Group in a letter at the beginning of the Report. "Technology matters not only when it soars above the stars, but even more when it puts light and warmth across our streets and neighborhoods. At the dawn of the age of AI, we are empowered to do more and better for small businesses and individuals." Technological Innovation To drive continuous innovation for consumers, SMEs and partners, Ant Group has increased R&D investment for four consecutive years since 2021, reaching a record high of RMB 23.45 billion (~USD 3.26 billion) in 2024 (up 10.7% YoY).1 130 million users have accessed the Company's AI-powered services connecting them with providers in healthcare, finance and everyday services. (43% from lower-tier cities) 24,000+ businesses adopted Ant's enterprise solutions (AI, blockchain, distributed databases) to improve operational efficiency. 2,000+ open-source repositories released to support developers. AI-Powered Digital Inclusion In 2024, Ant Group has made AI-powered services more accessible for its users, in sectors including healthcare, fintech and cross-border commerce. AI healthcare solutions for hospitals, doctors and users By harnessing AI, Ant Group has been enhancing operational efficiency, personalizing patient care, and empowering medical institutions, doctors, and insurers to deliver more effective and tailored healthcare solutions. AI healthcare app "AQ": 70 million+ users by June 2025. AI medical insurance assistant: 80% faster claim processing for insurers. Digital payment & finance for SMEs With digital payment and finance innovation, Ant Group, together with its affiliates, has served more than 100 million SMEs. Following QR code payment in 2011 and Smile-to-Pay in 2018, Ant Group launched Alipay Tap! in July 2024, a QR code-based contactless payment and customer engagement solution. As of April 2025, Alipay Tap! has won over 100 million users in just 11 months. FamilyMart's member orders rose by 40% within the first month of Alipay Tap! integration. Alipay's AI-enhanced merchant services further reduce costs and boost efficiency. In 2024, the annual transaction volume of merchant operated mini-programs grew 39% YoY. New advances in sustainability from 3 independently operated businesses Ant Digital Technologies, OceanBase and Ant International, the three businesses that have been operating independently since 2024 have been making steady progress in sustainability. Supporting the digital & green transformation of industries - Ant Digital Technologies: AntChain's trusted on-chain technology has been widely applied across the new energy sector, including electric vehicles, batteries, and photovoltaic panels, with over 12 million devices cumulatively connected to its blockchain. In December 2024, GCL Energy Technology Co., Ltd., a leader in the clean energy sector successfully completed the first-ever Real World Asset Tokenization (RWA) issuance in China's photovoltaic industry, securing 200 million yuan in cross-border financing, proving that physical assets can be digitized and financed on the blockchain. Making AI-ready distributed database accessible for enterprise clients - OceanBase: Expanded number of clients from over 1,000 to over 2,000 (100% YoY). Distributed database products have been upgraded to meet the database demand of the AI era, widely adopted across industries including finance, telecommunications, retail, Internet, and public services. Enabling global connections in travel, empowering global commerce in trade and enabling the underserved to thrive - Ant International: In travel, Alipay+ has enabled inclusive and affordable payment options for more than 100 million businesses in over 70 tourist destination markets. In trade, WorldFirst has enabled over 1.2 million SMEs to sell their products and services across more than 200 markets with its one-stop cross-border account and treasury services. In 2024, AI-powered Credit Tech solutions, ANEXT Bank and Ant Bank (Hong Kong) helped extend lending and other inclusive financial services to over 15 million users in emerging markets, mostly from the SME community. For more details on Ant International's sustainability progress, please refer to Ant International 2024 Sustainability Report. "Integrating commercial and social value creation isn't just our choice when we started – it is our guiding North Star," wrote Sabrina Peng, Chief Sustainability Officer of Ant Group. "Meaningful change grows in daily action, not in words. By integrating commercial and social value creation, we hope to do our part in building a better world – especially for the general public and small businesses." Note: Since 2017, Ant Group has been publishing an annual sustainability report, following the Global Reporting Initiative standards. All figures in the release are as of December 31, 2024 unless otherwise specified. The 2024 Sustainability Report is available in Chinese. The English-language version will be available on Ant Group's official website soon. About Ant Group Ant Group aims to build the infrastructure and platforms to support the digital transformation of the service industry. Through continuous innovation, we strive to provide all consumers and small and micro businesses equal access to digital financial and other daily life services that are convenient, sustainable and inclusive. For more information, please visit our website at or follow us on Twitter @AntGroup. 1 Source: Ant Group Sustainability Reports (2022 to 2024) View source version on Contacts Media inquiries:Rosa Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Wire
30-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Ant Group 2024 Sustainability Report Highlights AI-Powered Digital Inclusion and New Initiatives From 3 Independent Units
BUSINESS WIRE)--Ant Group today published its 2024 Sustainability Report, highlighting its enhanced AI investments in advancing broad-based digital transformation. The report also shares how the group's sustainability commitments are carried onto new journeys of Ant International, Ant Digital Technologies, and OceanBase, three units that became independent following the 2024 reorganization. The Report lays out how Ant Group harnessed new technology tools, expanded partnerships in 2024 to strengthen its 4 sustainability pillars: Technological Innovation, AI-Powered Digital Inclusion, Green and Low-Carbon Development, and Openness & Trustworthiness. '2024 marks the 20th anniversary of Alipay and Ant Group. Over the past two decades, we have remained committed to leveraging innovation to make quality services more accessible for small entrepreneurs and ordinary consumers, so that the business and the life they treasure may flourish because of the work we do,' wrote Eric Jing, Chairman of Ant Group and Cyril Han, CEO of Ant Group in a letter at the beginning of the Report. 'Technology matters not only when it soars above the stars, but even more when it puts light and warmth across our streets and neighborhoods. At the dawn of the age of AI, we are empowered to do more and better for small businesses and individuals.' Technological Innovation To drive continuous innovation for consumers, SMEs and partners, Ant Group has increased R&D investment for four consecutive years since 2021, reaching a record high of RMB 23.45 billion (~USD 3.26 billion) in 2024 (up 10.7% YoY). 1 130 million users have accessed the Company's AI-powered services connecting them with providers in healthcare, finance and everyday services. (43% from lower-tier cities) 24,000+ businesses adopted Ant's enterprise solutions (AI, blockchain, distributed databases) to improve operational efficiency. 2,000+ open-source repositories released to support developers. AI-Powered Digital Inclusion In 2024, Ant Group has made AI-powered services more accessible for its users, in sectors including healthcare, fintech and cross-border commerce. AI healthcare solutions for hospitals, doctors and users By harnessing AI, Ant Group has been enhancing operational efficiency, personalizing patient care, and empowering medical institutions, doctors, and insurers to deliver more effective and tailored healthcare solutions. AI healthcare app 'AQ': 70 million+ users by June 2025. AI medical insurance assistant: 80% faster claim processing for insurers. Digital payment & finance for SMEs With digital payment and finance innovation, Ant Group, together with its affiliates, has served more than 100 million SMEs. Following QR code payment in 2011 and Smile-to-Pay in 2018, Ant Group launched Alipay Tap! in July 2024, a QR code-based contactless payment and customer engagement solution. As of April 2025, Alipay Tap! has won over 100 million users in just 11 months. FamilyMart's member orders rose by 40% within the first month of Alipay Tap! integration. Alipay's AI-enhanced merchant services further reduce costs and boost efficiency. In 2024, the annual transaction volume of merchant operated mini-programs grew 39% YoY. New advances in sustainability from 3 independently operated businesses Ant Digital Technologies, OceanBase and Ant International, the three businesses that have been operating independently since 2024 have been making steady progress in sustainability. Supporting the digital & green transformation of industries - Ant Digital Technologies: AntChain's trusted on-chain technology has been widely applied across the new energy sector, including electric vehicles, batteries, and photovoltaic panels, with over 12 million devices cumulatively connected to its blockchain. In December 2024, GCL Energy Technology Co., Ltd., a leader in the clean energy sector successfully completed the first-ever Real World Asset Tokenization (RWA) issuance in China's photovoltaic industry, securing 200 million yuan in cross-border financing, proving that physical assets can be digitized and financed on the blockchain. Making AI-ready distributed database accessible for enterprise clients - OceanBase: Expanded number of clients from over 1,000 to over 2,000 (100% YoY). Distributed database products have been upgraded to meet the database demand of the AI era, widely adopted across industries including finance, telecommunications, retail, Internet, and public services. Enabling global connections in travel, empowering global commerce in trade and enabling the underserved to thrive - Ant International: In travel, Alipay+ has enabled inclusive and affordable payment options for more than 100 million businesses in over 70 tourist destination markets. In trade, WorldFirst has enabled over 1.2 million SMEs to sell their products and services across more than 200 markets with its one-stop cross-border account and treasury services. In 2024, AI-powered Credit Tech solutions, ANEXT Bank and Ant Bank (Hong Kong) helped extend lending and other inclusive financial services to over 15 million users in emerging markets, mostly from the SME community. For more details on Ant International's sustainability progress, please refer to Ant International 2024 Sustainability Report. 'Integrating commercial and social value creation isn't just our choice when we started – it is our guiding North Star,' wrote Sabrina Peng, Chief Sustainability Officer of Ant Group. 'Meaningful change grows in daily action, not in words. By integrating commercial and social value creation, we hope to do our part in building a better world – especially for the general public and small businesses.' Note: Since 2017, Ant Group has been publishing an annual sustainability report, following the Global Reporting Initiative standards. All figures in the release are as of December 31, 2024 unless otherwise specified. The 2024 Sustainability Report is available in Chinese. The English-language version will be available on Ant Group's official website soon. About Ant Group Ant Group aims to build the infrastructure and platforms to support the digital transformation of the service industry. Through continuous innovation, we strive to provide all consumers and small and micro businesses equal access to digital financial and other daily life services that are convenient, sustainable and inclusive. For more information, please visit our website at or follow us on Twitter @AntGroup.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ant Group introduces AI app for entry into healthcare sector
Global digital technology provider Ant Group has introduced its AI application, AQ, for accelerating its entry into the healthcare sector. The app is designed to streamline users' daily healthcare management by offering more than 100 AI-driven services, encompassing doctor recommendations, medical report assessment, and tailored medical advice. It facilitates connections between users and digital offerings from over 5,000 hospitals and close to a million doctors throughout China. Ant Group CEO Cyril Han said: 'Ant Group hopes that through AQ, it can provide everyone with a trusted healthcare manager, advancing inclusive healthcare and bringing every Chinese citizen one step closer to a healthier life.' Driven by Ant Group's Healthcare Large Model, AQ draws on more than ten years of healthcare expertise. This model features advanced medical reasoning and multimodal interaction capabilities while prioritising user privacy and security. The Healthcare Large Model enables medical institutions and doctors to deliver more efficient, accessible, and tailored services. In March 2025, Ant Group furthered its commitment by partnering with IT industry leaders to integrate the Healthcare Large Model into All-in-One Large Model Machines for Healthcare, allowing hospitals to deploy AI models securely on-premises. Ant Group's contributions extend to assisting hospitals in creating user-facing applications. For instance, Angel, an AI agent developed in Zhejiang Province, has already catered to more than 1,000 medical facilities and managed over 50 million user interactions. The company also aids in the development of Yibaoer, an AI agent for medical insurance inquiries. In January 2025, Ant Group acquired Haodf, enhancing its healthcare offerings with the AI Doctor Assistant, which aids in AI-assisted diagnosis and patient education. Additionally, around 200 doctors are collaborating with Ant Group to develop AI Doctor Agents, providing healthcare advice to patients, especially those with limited medical access. "Ant Group introduces AI app for entry into healthcare sector" was originally created and published by Hospital Management, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Upturn
27-06-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Ant Group Launches AI Healthcare App AQ Amid Push into Healthcare Sector
By Business Wire India Published on June 27, 2025, 11:12 IST Hangzhou, China: Digital leader aims to capture rising cross-generational demand for public and private healthcare services amid demographic shift and urbanization trends. The launch of AQ enhances Ant Group's comprehensive suite of AI solutions for healthcare, enabling medical institutions and doctors to offer more efficient, accessible, and personalized services. Ant Group today launched its AI healthcare app, AQ, to accelerate the company's entry into the healthcare sector. The app helps users manage their daily healthcare needs with over 100 AI-powered services, including doctor recommendations, medical report analysis, and personalized medical advice. It also connects users to digital services from over 5,000 hospitals and nearly 1 million doctors across China. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: Ant Group launched the AI healthcare app AQ to accelerate its entry into the healthcare sector By around 2035, over 400 million people, or more than 30% of China's population, will be aged 60 or older, according to projections from China's National Health Commission. This demographic shift is expected to significantly increase healthcare demand in the country. 'Ant Group hopes that through AQ, it can provide everyone with a trusted healthcare manager, advancing inclusive healthcare and bringing every Chinese citizen one step closer to a healthier life,' said Cyril Han, CEO of Ant Group. The AQ app is powered by Ant Group's Healthcare Large Model, which draws on over a decade of expertise in the healthcare sector. Since 2014, when Ant Group launched its first online hospital appointment-making service on the flagship Alipay digital platform, the company has been supporting the digital and intelligent transformation of China's healthcare industry. The Healthcare Large Model, equipped with advanced medical reasoning and multimodal interaction capabilities, has consistently ranked in first place in the HealthBench and MedBench evaluations. Furthermore, it leverages Ant Group's leading privacy and security technologies to ensure a safe and reliable experience. Through this model, Ant Group is empowering medical institutions and doctors to offer more efficient, accessible, and personalized services to users with AI-enabled solutions. Empowering Medical Institutions with Secure and Efficient AI Integration Healthcare Large Model Integration In March 2025, Ant Group collaborated with IT industry leaders to integrate its advanced healthcare large model into various types of All-in-One Large Model Machine for Healthcare. This solution allows hospitals to deploy AI models on-premises, ensuring efficient and secure use of AI to optimize daily operations and improve patient services. AI Assistant for Hospital Services Ant Group is also helping hospitals develop user-facing applications. Angel, an AI agent developed in collaboration with public medical institutions in China's Zhejiang Province, has served over 1,000 medical facilities, handling more than 50 million user interactions. AI Medical Insurance Assistant Additionally, Ant Group has supported local basic medical insurance institutions across China in developing Yibaoer, an AI agent designed to assist users with medical insurance-related inquiries. AI-Assisted Diagnosis and Patient Education: Extending Doctor Capabilities Beyond Time and Place Constraints AI Doctor Assistant In January 2025, Ant Group completed the acquisition of Haodf, a leading healthcare platform specializing in online doctor consultations. Together, the two sides launched the AI Doctor Assistant, which supports doctors with AI-assisted diagnosis, medical record management, and patient education. AI Doctor Agents Ant Group is also collaborating with nearly 200 prominent doctors in China to develop AI Doctor Agents that provide patients with credible, authoritative healthcare advice and medical guidance. This initiative not only empowers individuals to maintain better health but also supports those with limited access to medical resources, ensuring timely, expert care when it's needed most. Through these ongoing initiatives, Ant Group is contributing to the more efficient use of limited medical resources, with the aim of supporting greater medical inclusion. About Alipay As the world becomes increasingly digital, Alipay has evolved from a trusted e-wallet into an all-in-one digital platform for daily services, connecting more than one billion consumers to over 80 million merchants across China. Alipay offers users a secure, seamless mobile payment experience and integrates over 10,000 services across sectors like travel, healthcare, tourism, and entertainment. With digital tools like Alipay Tap!, mini-programs, lifestyle accounts, Alipay enables merchants, institutions, and independent software vendors (ISVs) to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, Alipay is developing a new AI-driven open platform by integrating AI agents to deliver smarter, more personalized services to its users as well as facilitating the digital transformation of the service sector. About Ant Group Ant Group is a global digital technology provider and the operator of Alipay, a leading internet services platform in China, connecting over one billion users to more than 10,000 types of consumer services from partners. Through innovative products and solutions powered by AI, blockchain and other technologies, Ant Group supports partners across industries to thrive through digital transformation in an ecosystem for inclusive and sustainable development. For more information, visit View source version on Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Business Wire India, established in 2002, India's premier media distribution company ensures guaranteed media coverage through its network of 30+ cities and top news agencies.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ant Group Launches AI Healthcare App AQ Amid Push into Healthcare Sector
Digital leader aims to capture rising cross-generational demand for public and private healthcare services amid demographic shift and urbanization trends. The launch of AQ enhances Ant Group's comprehensive suite of AI solutions for healthcare, enabling medical institutions and doctors to offer more efficient, accessible, and personalized services. HANGZHOU, China, June 26, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ant Group today launched its AI healthcare app, AQ, to accelerate the company's entry into the healthcare sector. The app helps users manage their daily healthcare needs with over 100 AI-powered services, including doctor recommendations, medical report analysis, and personalized medical advice. It also connects users to digital services from over 5,000 hospitals and nearly 1 million doctors across China. By around 2035, over 400 million people, or more than 30% of China's population, will be aged 60 or older, according to projections from China's National Health Commission. This demographic shift is expected to significantly increase healthcare demand in the country. "Ant Group hopes that through AQ, it can provide everyone with a trusted healthcare manager, advancing inclusive healthcare and bringing every Chinese citizen one step closer to a healthier life," said Cyril Han, CEO of Ant Group. The AQ app is powered by Ant Group's Healthcare Large Model, which draws on over a decade of expertise in the healthcare sector. Since 2014, when Ant Group launched its first online hospital appointment-making service on the flagship Alipay digital platform, the company has been supporting the digital and intelligent transformation of China's healthcare industry. The Healthcare Large Model, equipped with advanced medical reasoning and multimodal interaction capabilities, has consistently ranked in first place in the HealthBench and MedBench evaluations. Furthermore, it leverages Ant Group's leading privacy and security technologies to ensure a safe and reliable experience. Through this model, Ant Group is empowering medical institutions and doctors to offer more efficient, accessible, and personalized services to users with AI-enabled solutions. Empowering Medical Institutions with Secure and Efficient AI Integration Healthcare Large Model IntegrationIn March 2025, Ant Group collaborated with IT industry leaders to integrate its advanced healthcare large model into various types of All-in-One Large Model Machine for Healthcare. This solution allows hospitals to deploy AI models on-premises, ensuring efficient and secure use of AI to optimize daily operations and improve patient services. AI Assistant for Hospital ServicesAnt Group is also helping hospitals develop user-facing applications. Angel, an AI agent developed in collaboration with public medical institutions in China's Zhejiang Province, has served over 1,000 medical facilities, handling more than 50 million user interactions. AI Medical Insurance AssistantAdditionally, Ant Group has supported local basic medical insurance institutions across China in developing Yibaoer, an AI agent designed to assist users with medical insurance-related inquiries. AI-Assisted Diagnosis and Patient Education: Extending Doctor Capabilities Beyond Time and Place Constraints AI Doctor AssistantIn January 2025, Ant Group completed the acquisition of Haodf, a leading healthcare platform specializing in online doctor consultations. Together, the two sides launched the AI Doctor Assistant, which supports doctors with AI-assisted diagnosis, medical record management, and patient education. AI Doctor AgentsAnt Group is also collaborating with nearly 200 prominent doctors in China to develop AI Doctor Agents that provide patients with credible, authoritative healthcare advice and medical guidance. This initiative not only empowers individuals to maintain better health but also supports those with limited access to medical resources, ensuring timely, expert care when it's needed most. Through these ongoing initiatives, Ant Group is contributing to the more efficient use of limited medical resources, with the aim of supporting greater medical inclusion. About Alipay As the world becomes increasingly digital, Alipay has evolved from a trusted e-wallet into an all-in-one digital platform for daily services, connecting more than one billion consumers to over 80 million merchants across China. Alipay offers users a secure, seamless mobile payment experience and integrates over 10,000 services across sectors like travel, healthcare, tourism, and entertainment. With digital tools like Alipay Tap!, mini-programs, lifestyle accounts, Alipay enables merchants, institutions, and independent software vendors (ISVs) to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, Alipay is developing a new AI-driven open platform by integrating AI agents to deliver smarter, more personalized services to its users as well as facilitating the digital transformation of the service sector. About Ant Group Ant Group is a global digital technology provider and the operator of Alipay, a leading internet services platform in China, connecting over one billion users to more than 10,000 types of consumer services from partners. Through innovative products and solutions powered by AI, blockchain and other technologies, Ant Group supports partners across industries to thrive through digital transformation in an ecosystem for inclusive and sustainable development. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts Media Inquiries Yinan Duanglobalcomms@
