Alibaba launches AI Mode to streamline product sourcing for global merchants

Alibaba.com, the wholesale arm serving over 200,000 merchants worldwide, has unveiled AI Mode, an AI-powered enhancement to its online search engine intended to streamline cross-border sourcing. According to platform president Zhang Kuo, AI Mode delivers tailored results and recommendations through natural language queries. The tool automatically compares suppliers on key metrics such as price and production capabilities, delivering concise recommendations within minutes—significantly reducing the traditional sourcing cycle that could take days or weeks. The rollout aligns with Alibaba.com’s CoCreate Europe trade fair in London, signaling the company’s broader push to leverage artificial intelligence to improve product discovery and supplier matching. AI Mode is expected to be available online from the following month. The announcement underscores Alibaba’s strategy to deepen its AI capabilities across its services to enhance efficiency for global B2B trade.