Against the backdrop of Alibaba's all-in AI strategy, 1688, the wholesale marketplace platform under Alibaba Group, has begun comprehensive AI implementation across its B2B operations.

On July 30, 1688 held a "Platform + Industry" AI networking conference in Hangzhou, where the company unveiled multiple AI products and upgrade initiatives. These include launching the "1688 AI Version" app, introducing the free enterprise query tool "88查", and conducting comprehensive AI upgrades to the existing "Alibaba 1688" app.

This marks 1688's first large-scale release of AI-powered products. According to internal sources, these initiatives represent a deep practical implementation of the "AI to B" model at the industrial frontline, with a core focus on serving small B buyers and source manufacturers.

The new app targets startup and sourcing scenarios, integrating five core functions: AI search, AI product selection, AI product creation, AI image search, and AI enterprise inquiry. These features cover the entire business chain from opportunity discovery to intelligent recommendations, product assembly, design, and innovation.

1688 CTO Huo Chengfu stated that the 1688 AI version is positioned to become a business partner for entrepreneurs. The company plans to achieve end-to-end solutions through 1688 for user-submitted procurement or business plans in specific vertical markets by March next year.

"88查" supports natural language interaction, allowing users to quickly query factory qualifications, production capabilities, and core competencies with simple descriptions. It also integrates deep research capabilities to rapidly generate industry and enterprise research reports, making business decisions more efficient and reliable.

Additionally, 1688's free "AI Digital Employees" for merchants have received comprehensive upgrades, providing four personalized roles: business manager, product specialist, customer specialist, and marketing specialist, forming an intelligent "virtual team" covering the entire e-commerce operation chain.

According to internal employees, this upgrade elevates AI digital employees from "execution level" to "decision level", shifting their core value from "efficiency improvement" to "profit generation" through proactive market trend analysis and business strategy formulation to achieve human efficiency gains through AI.

As Alibaba's longest-standing business, 1688 serves mainstream manufacturers in Chinese manufacturing. Currently, the 1688 platform hosts over 1 million source manufacturers, with more than 60% being above-scale factories. The platform had over 100 million active buyers in 2024.

Known for concentrating source factories, source goods, and source prices from industrial belts, 1688 is called "China's e-commerce source supply base."

In recent years, following Alibaba's all-in AI strategy, 1688 has become Alibaba's primary platform for exploring AI implementation in the industrial sector. As noted by Zhang Yaqin, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Dean of Tsinghua University's AIR Institute, large model applications follow the development pattern of internet and mobile internet: starting from consumer end (To C) and then penetrating to industrial end (To B).

For 1688, the AI to B era has just begun, presenting a second entrepreneurial opportunity for the company.

Two years ago, 1688 began exploring AI applications. In 2024, the company simultaneously launched over 70 AI projects. Following DeepSeek's popularity, 1688 established an AI strategic advancement group and quickly reduced the 70+ projects to 10 prioritized ones after the Spring Festival.

According to internal sources, 1688 has also brought in younger talent who better understand AI organizationally. "Every management member has AI projects, and the internal attitude is that those who don't believe in or fully embrace AI must be replaced if they hold key positions."

Now, 1688's comprehensive AI transformation will undoubtedly help millions of small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurs seize new technological opportunities in the AI era, opening up more new businesses and tracks.

Currently, social media influencers and live streamers are becoming the main force of "light entrepreneurship." Previously, entrepreneurs with good ideas found it difficult to negotiate with factories. Now, flexible supply chains have become more agile due to "AI+", lowering the barriers for young entrepreneurs.

According to 1688 internal observations, AI not only amplifies individual capabilities but is also changing future organizational forms, with phenomena like "multi-skilled individuals," "multi-role individuals," and "one-person companies" rapidly emerging.

However, AI also places higher demands on entrepreneurs. For instance, AI compresses product iteration cycles to daily levels, requiring entrepreneurs to establish "real-time perception - rapid action" mechanisms, as being slow means losing market opportunities. Additionally, AI recommendations easily create "winner-takes-all" scenarios, requiring small and medium entrepreneurs to more precisely target niche scenarios.

For 1688, going all-in on AI is not just ambitious rhetoric but rather a natural transformation, integrating Alibaba's over 20 years of accumulated B2B services into the new AI engine. This adventure path of opportunities and challenges has just begun.