Alibaba plans to launch Tongyi Qianwen, an AI chatbot rivaling ChatGPT, with integration into DingTalk and Tmall Genie.
Alibaba, the Chinese tech behemoth, recently announced its plans to introduce a state-of-the-art AI chatbot named Tongyi Qianwen, designed to rival the popular ChatGPT. While the company’s cloud computing arm confirmed the integration of this advanced AI chatbot into Alibaba’s businesses, the exact timeline for the rollout remains undisclosed. Over the past few months, tech firms worldwide have been eager to enter the generative AI chatbot market, with many launching their products.
Earlier this year, Alibaba declared its intent to create a competitor to ChatGPT. The name Tongyi Qianwen means “seeking an answer by asking a thousand questions” in English. However, Alibaba has not released an official English name. Daniel Zhang, Alibaba’s CEO and chairman, lauded the technological advancements made possible by generative AI and cloud computing as he introduced Tongyi Qianwen.
Tongyi Qianwen Set to Transform DingTalk and Tmall Genie
Initially, Alibaba aims to integrate Tongyi Qianwen into DingTalk, their proprietary workplace messaging app. This AI chatbot can function in both English and Chinese and will perform various tasks, such as converting meeting discussions into written notes, crafting emails, and preparing business proposals.
Chinese tech giant Alibaba has announced plans to roll out its own artificial intelligence (AI) ChatGPT-style product called Tongyi Qianwen.
Tongyi Qianwen translates as "seeking an answer by asking a thousand questions."
It will possess Chinese & English language capabilities. pic.twitter.com/vgxOM3QNA9
— Justuju – جستجو (@justujuuu) April 11, 2023
Following its implementation in DingTalk, Alibaba plans to incorporate Tongyi Qianwen into Tmall Genie, a product similar to Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant smart speaker. The emergence of generative AI technology has garnered significant attention since Microsoft-backed OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT in November. This cutting-edge AI can study past data and generate content virtually indistinguishable from that created by humans.
Tech Giants Microsoft, Google, and Baidu Enter the AI Chatbot Arena
Microsoft has dedicated billions of dollars to developing ChatGPT, which they integrated into their search engine Bing in February. The software giant also disclosed plans to incorporate a version of ChatGPT into Office apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Alphabet’s Google and China’s Baidu have also announced their AI models and released chatbots similar to ChatGPT.
China’s cyberspace regulator recently proposed draft measures for managing generative AI technology. Under these potential regulations, companies will be held responsible for the accuracy of data used in training the technology, as stated by the Cyberspace Administration of China. The public has until May 10 to offer feedback on the proposals.
Tech Leaders Urge for Cautious AI Development
In response to possible risks, high-profile tech industry figures have called for a pause in the training of powerful AI systems, citing a potential threat to humanity. Twitter CEO Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak were among those who signed an open letter, cautioning that the race to develop AI systems has become unmanageable.
A recent report by Goldman Sachs estimated that AI could displace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs. Earlier this month, Italy became the first Western nation to prohibit ChatGPT, with the country’s data protection authority citing privacy concerns as the primary reason for the ban.
As the competition for AI dominance intensifies, the world eagerly anticipates the effects these new AI chatbot technologies will have on daily life and various industries. Companies like Alibaba, with its Tongyi Qianwen chatbot, continue to push the boundaries of innovation in the field of AI, leaving the world to wonder what’s next for this rapidly evolving technology.
