China’s technology giants, including Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance, are investing billions in agentic AI, a type of artificial intelligence that enables systems to autonomously execute multi-step tasks.

This move marks a divergence from Western firms, which are focusing on foundational models and cross-platform interoperability. Instead, Chinese companies are prioritizing commerce integration, which could reshape how enterprises deploy autonomous systems globally.

Alibaba, for example, has upgraded its Qwen chatbot to enable direct transaction completion, connecting the AI agent to its ecosystem, including Taobao, Alipay, Amap, and Fliggy. This integration supports over 400 core digital tasks, allowing users to compare personalized recommendations and complete payments without leaving the chatbot environment.

ByteDance has also upgraded its Doubao AI chatbot to autonomously handle tasks, including ticket bookings, through integrations with Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. Tencent, meanwhile, is exploring the use of AI agents as core components of its WeChat ecosystem, which serves over one billion users.

According to Shaochen Wang, research analyst at Counterpoint Research, the agentic transformation of commercial services enables the maximal integration of user services and enhances user stickiness, creating sustainable competitive advantages.