Alibaba to deploy AI ‘digital workforce’ for millions of merchants on Taobao, Tmall

SCMP Tech / 3/28/2026

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Key Points

  • Alibaba plans to deploy an AI “digital workforce” for millions of merchants using its Taobao and Tmall platforms, aiming for more autonomous, always-on operations.
  • The initiative is positioned as part of a broader shift toward autonomous AI in e-commerce, with merchants receiving AI-powered support at scale.
  • The report suggests the “OpenClaw” push is accelerating adoption of automation that can handle routine tasks more continuously.
  • By embedding AI workers into merchant workflows, Alibaba could reduce operational overhead and change how merchants manage product, service, or commerce execution.
Alibaba Group Holding is set to launch a new service that provides AI agents for millions of merchants on its Taobao and Tmall platforms, as the tech giant capitalises on the recent frenzy fuelled by OpenClaw to secure its lead in e-commerce. The new feature, slated for release by the end of March, will provide agentic AI services based on its merchant tool Business Advisor, aiming to give them a 24/7 autonomous “digital workforce” that can automate operation processes including offering...

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