Latest news with #Alibaba
Gizmodo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
China's Newest Pair of Smart Glasses Are Meta's Biggest Threat Yet
It's official: Alibaba is entering the smart glasses game. After rumors that percolated late last week, Alibaba unveiled its official plans to put out frames that look awfully similar to Meta's Ray-Bans, but with a few key advantages that could help them blow way past U.S. competition. The smart glasses, called Quark AI, are actually a lot more similar to Meta's Ray-Bans than I expected. For one, they do not feature a display of any kind and instead focus more on here-and-now features like calling, audio, translation, and using a built-in camera to take pictures. If those all sound like familiar capabilities, it's because Meta's Ray-Bans can do all of those things. If you're reading that with deflation, I wouldn't blame you, given how advanced China's smart glasses field has become and the resources that Alibaba has at its disposal. But just because those capabilities are similar doesn't mean Quark AI can't push the ball forward. Alibaba just previewed its first AI-powered smart glasses — Quark — at WAIC 2025 in Shanghai. 🔹 Built on the Qwen model series🔹 Qualcomm AR1 + low-power dual system chip🔹 Seamless Alipay, Taobao, and Amap integration🔹 40% slimmer than current market glasses — Wes Roth (@WesRothMoney) July 28, 2025For one, Alibaba, unlike Meta, has access to different services that Meta doesn't. Among those is Alipay, which is a popular mobile payment service used predominantly in China but is becoming more widely accepted worldwide. As we've already seen in other smart glasses, like Xiaomi's recent entrant, that integration opens the door for some cool (and maybe concerning) mobile payment features. Similar to Xiaomi's smart glasses, Alibaba says Quark AI supports Alipay for purchasing things using QR codes. If it's anything like Xiaomi's feature—and I'm almost certain it is—users will use the camera to scan a QR code and then use the glasses' voice assistant to confirm payment. If it works as promised, that gives Alibaba's glasses one more advantage over Meta. Oh, also, these are 40% smaller than other similar smart glasses on the market, according to Alibaba, which is great for anyone who doesn't want to look like they're wearing a gadget on their face. And it's not just mobile payments where Alibaba may have the edge in more feature-rich smart glasses. Alibaba also shared plans to integrate navigation into its glasses, which is an area where I find Meta's Ray-Bans to be sorely lacking. I've been using Meta's Ray-Bans for almost a year now, and while I can load up Google Maps on my phone and pipe in step-by-step navigation through its Bluetooth audio, it's not the same as doing all of that natively. While I can't say for sure, Alibaba's glasses, with a tighter integration of GPS, may be able to launch navigation natively by prompting the glasses with a voice command. That may seem small, but it goes a long way in making smart glasses feel actually smart. It's hard to say for sure just where Alibaba will bring its smart glasses when they actually get released, and there's still a lot we don't know, including price, details on camera quality, battery life, and all that very important technical stuff. But from a possibility perspective, it's hard not to recognize a lot of potential for Meta-crushing functionality. If Quark AI is half as capable as Xiaomi's entrant into the space, I'd say Meta has a lot of catching up to do with its third-gen Ray-Ban smart glasses.
South China Morning Post
10 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Alibaba, Standard Chartered partner to accelerate AI adoption in banking sector
The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding that would see Standard Chartered leverage solutions from Alibaba Cloud – the Hangzhou -based firm's AI and cloud computing services arm – to enhance operational efficiency and elevate customer experience, according to a statement on Tuesday from Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post. 'Through this strategic alliance, we will combine Alibaba's technological expertise with Standard Chartered's deep industry knowledge to unlock new possibilities,' Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu Yongming said. Their cooperation includes building AI-powered customer engagement tools, automating risk management and compliance, and talent development at the bank through AI workshops and certifications for employees. 'From education to healthcare and scientific research, AI has already shown its potential to drive transformational change,' Wu said.
International Business Times
10 hours ago
- Business
- International Business Times
Alibaba Enters Smart Eyewear Market with Quark AI-Powered Glasses
Chinese e-commerce giant, Alibaba, has finally made an official entry into the smart eyewear market by announcing its new Quark AI glasses. The company showcased the product at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai. These glasses are designed to be compatible with Alibaba's expanding AI ecosystem. X The smart glasses are able to translate in real time, make hands-free payments, scan products, and provide turn-by-turn navigation. You can scan QR codes to pay for things on Alipay, compare the prices on Taobao, or get around using Amap. They feature music playback, live transcription, hands-free calls, and an integrated camera. This is the first major step of Alibaba into AI wearables. Local players like Xreal and Rokid have already had comparable products. Global brands like Meta are also competing with smart glasses, like the Ray-Ban Meta. Alibaba is using its own AI models, apps, and platforms to power the glasses. Quark AI glasses are built around Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 chip, which was designed for augmented reality. A second chip with low power handles lighter jobs. The glasses are also powered by Android and RTOS (Real-Time Operating System). The appearance of the design has also been upgraded. The glasses have arms 40% thinner than the usual ones. The frames are lightweight, making them suitable for daily use. The price and launch date have not been confirmed, but Alibaba said the product is ready for market and will be sold in China by the end of 2025. Alibaba also teamed up earlier this year with RayNeo, an AR glasses manufacturer. This partnership also allows for more wearable devices to utilize Alibaba's AI tools. The glasses will be powered by Alibaba's artificial intelligence assistant Quark, which has evolved from a simple app into a full assistant that operates much like ChatGPT or Google Gemini. Alibaba is also betting big on AI, with plans of investing $53 billion in AI infrastructure over three years.
Globe and Mail
12 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Alibaba's AI Ambitions: 3 Strategic Bets Investors Should Watch Closely
Key Points Qwen is Alibaba Group's AI crown jewel. Alibaba Cloud is evolving into an AI powerhouse. AI is reprogramming Alibaba's core commerce engine. 10 stocks we like better than Alibaba Group › Alibaba Group (NYSE: BABA) has spent the past few years navigating regulatory crackdowns, macro uncertainty in China, and intensifying competition. However, behind the scenes, a massive transformation is underway as the tech giant repositions itself as an artificial intelligence (AI)-native company. For investors, this pivot could mark a turning point. While the headlines still focus on sluggish consumer sentiment and slow e-commerce growth, its AI strategy may be the most important long-term story. Let's break down the three strategic bets Alibaba is making in AI and why they matter. Building a foundational, open-source AI engine with Qwen Alibaba's most important AI initiative is Qwen -- a family of large language models that rivals the capabilities of OpenAI's GPT-4, Meta Platforms ' Llama, and Alphabet 's Google Gemini. The tech giant's seriousness in this area is evident in the ongoing releases of new and better versions of Qwen. The latest version, Qwen3, boasts up to 235 billion parameters and has deep multilingual capabilities (119 languages). This latest version compares favorably to the best models from competitors like OpenAI, Deepseek, and Gemini, achieving competitive results in benchmark evaluations of coding, math, and general capabilities. In other words, Alibaba's LLM is as competitive (if not better) than some of the best globally. Unlike closed models from U.S. tech giants, Alibaba is betting big on open AI -- enabling researchers, start-ups, and governments to use and fine-tune Qwen models freely. This approach is not just technically bold but also strategically smart. It enables Alibaba to drive early adoption globally, particularly in Asia and emerging markets where U.S.-based models are less prevalent. As adoption grows, Qwen and Alibaba's tech ecosystem will become the de facto platform that future AI companies rely on. In other words, Qwen could become the engine powering a new ecosystem of Alibaba-backed AI apps and infrastructure. Alibaba Cloud pivots from infrastructure to AI platform For years, Alibaba Cloud was viewed as a regional infrastructure provider, dominant in China but lagging behind global peers in profitability and product sophistication. But that's changing. The company is now rebuilding its cloud around AI, offering a tightly integrated platform that combines compute, application programming interfaces (APIs), developer tools, and its proprietary Qwen models. For instance, with Model Studio, developers can leverage its LLM to build generative AI applications. This vertical integration is essential, as it moves Alibaba Cloud up the value chain -- from basic hosting to full-stack AI enablement. This move unlocks new customers and expands wallet share among existing ones. Strategically, this also leads to deeper customer lock-in due to higher switching costs. Besides, since Qwen is an open-source platform globally, Alibaba has positioned itself well to grow its presence beyond China, particularly in regions where Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure are not dominant players. In other words, the shift to AI-native infrastructure could be the key to Alibaba Cloud's long-term growth and expansion. Reinventing commerce with AI At its core, Alibaba remains a commerce company, but even here, AI plays a central role. Across platforms like Taobao and Tmall, the company is embedding generative AI to perform various tasks for merchants and consumers. For merchants, AI can help improve productivity and sales by automating tasks such as product listings, generating marketing content, and providing customer service. For consumers, AI facilitates personalized recommendations and intelligent search. Internally, AI also helps improve productivity and efficiency, especially in areas such as warehousing, fulfillment, and logistics. By fully integrating AI into commerce, Alibaba aims to reinvent itself as it fends off competitors such as Pinduoduo and Douyin. If done correctly, AI can help Alibaba enhance customer delight and increase operational efficiencies, laying the foundation for its next phase of expansion. What does this mean for investors? While the market remains fixated on China risk and e-commerce fatigue, Alibaba is quietly rebuilding its future around AI. From Qwen to cloud to commerce, it's laying the groundwork for a more intelligent, scalable, and global business. The movement toward AI is not a short-term catalyst -- it's a long-term transformation. But if Alibaba executes, investors may look back and see this as the moment it rewrote its growth story. It's a company worth watching. Should you invest $1,000 in Alibaba Group right now? Before you buy stock in Alibaba Group, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Alibaba Group wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,063,471!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,041% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 28, 2025 Lawrence Nga has positions in Alibaba Group and PDD Holdings. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool recommends Alibaba Group and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Better Artificial Intelligence Stock: Palantir (PLTR) vs. Alibaba (BABA)
Key Points Alibaba generates much greater revenue and profits than Palantir. Palantir is growing much more rapidly than Alibaba. Alibaba's valuation looks much more attractive than Palantir's. 10 stocks we like better than Alibaba Group › If a five-year look at history is any guide, there's no contest in deciding between investing in Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) or Alibaba Group Holding (NYSE: BABA). Palantir's share price has skyrocketed a staggering 1,560% since its initial public offering in 2020. Alibaba's shares have plunged almost 60% during the same period. But the past isn't always a great predictor of the future, and investor have to ask: Which is the better artificial intelligence (AI) stock going forward? Here's how Palantir and Alibaba stack up against each other. Financials These two AI stocks match up quite closely on at least one key financial metric. Palantir's return on equity is 12.36% compared to 11.44% for Alibaba. However, that's perhaps the only similarity between the two companies when it comes to financials. Alibaba rakes in a lot more money than Palantir does. Over the last 12 months, the Chinese technology giant generated revenue of more than $996 billion with earnings of roughly $129.5 billion. Meanwhile, Palantir's revenue was $3.12 billion with earnings of nearly $571 million. However, Palantir has a higher profit margin -- 18.3% versus Alibaba's 13.1%. Turning to the balance sheets, Alibaba's cash position of $428 billion is much larger than Palantir's $5.4 billion. On the other hand, Alibaba also has a lot more debt -- $248 billion compared to only $244.6 million for Palantir. As a result, Palantir's debt-to-equity ratio of 4.4% is more attractive than Alibaba's ratio of around 22.8%. Growth Alibaba delivered solid growth in its latest reported quarter ending on March 31. Revenue increased by 7% year over year to nearly $32.6 billion. Adjusted earnings jumped 22% year over year to $4.1 billion. However, those numbers pale in comparison to Palantir's growth. Palantir's revenue soared 39% higher year over year in the first quarter of 2025 to $883.9 million. The AI software company's earnings based on generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) more than doubled to $217.7 million. Its non-GAAP earnings vaulted nearly 70% higher to $334.4 million. Will this disparity in growth continue? Probably, although it could narrow somewhat. Alibaba's AI-related product revenue has achieved triple-digit growth for seven consecutive quarters. The company's AI and cloud businesses have great long-term growth prospects. However, Palantir continues to win new contracts in the government and private sectors. CEO Alex Karp wrote to shareholders earlier this year, "The rush toward large language models, as well as the foundational software architecture that is capable of making them valuable to large organizations, has turned into a stampede." Valuation These two AI stocks' valuations are as different as night and day. Palantir's shares trade at a jaw-dropping premium, with a forward price-to-earnings ratio of nearly 278. Alibaba's forward earnings multiple of 14 seems dirt cheap by comparison. Of course, investors should receive a lot more growth with Palantir than with Alibaba. Does this additional growth justify the stark differences in valuations? Not according to analysts surveyed by financial data and infrastructure provider LSEG. Palantir's price-to-earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio, based on analysts' five-year earnings growth projections, is 4.9. Alibaba's PEG ratio is only 1.09. The reality is that Alibaba looks more attractive regardless of which valuation metric we use. Its price-to-sales ratio is 2.08 versus 126.9 for Palantir. Alibaba's enterprise-value-to-EBITDA is 9.02, compared to 848.9 for Palantir. Better AI stock? Wedbush analyst Dan Ives believes that Palantir's market cap will hit $1 trillion within the next two to three years. The company's market cap hovers around $370 billion today. If Ives is right, Palantir is easily a better AI stock to buy than Alibaba. My concern, though, is that Palantir's current growth -- as impressive as it might be -- simply isn't enough to justify the stock's premium valuation. Perhaps the company's growth will accelerate rapidly and dispel my doubts, but that hasn't happened yet. Meanwhile, Alibaba dominates the Chinese cloud services market. It's a major player in the country's e-commerce market. The company plans to launch AI glasses to compete against Meta and other rivals. And its stock is a bargain. Based on the facts as they stand right now, I think Alibaba is a better AI stock to buy than Palantir. Do the experts think Alibaba Group is a buy right now? The Motley Fool's expert analyst team, drawing on years of investing experience and deep analysis of thousands of stocks, leverages our proprietary Moneyball AI investing database to uncover top opportunities. They've just revealed their to buy now — did Alibaba Group make the list? When our Stock Advisor analyst team has a stock recommendation, it can pay to listen. After all, Stock Advisor's total average return is up 1,041% vs. just 183% for the S&P — that is beating the market by 858.71%!* Imagine if you were a Stock Advisor member when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,063,471!* The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 28, 2025 Keith Speights has positions in Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Meta Platforms and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends Alibaba Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Better Artificial Intelligence Stock: Palantir (PLTR) vs. Alibaba (BABA) was originally published by The Motley Fool
