AI integration among China's e-commerce majors is still in its infancy stage despite rising usage, S&P Global Ratings said in a Tuesday release.

Tools currently used by e-commerce platforms are assistant-focused, mainly on search and recommendations, S&P credit analyst Clifford Kurz said.

Implementation also shows gaps, with leaders such as Alibaba Group Holding (HKG:9988) incorporating proprietary models for core users while others only offering basic features, the rating agency said.

AI has a secondary role in driving user behavior among platforms, with a breadth of merchants, product selection, service delivery quality, and low-cost offerings remaining as the main anchors, Kurz said.

AI agents could have a notable role in the future through automation of recurring purchases and after-sales service management, but widespread implementation is still not feasible in the short term, S&P said.