On Thursday, Alibaba announced the release of its Quark artificial intelligence (AI) glasses in China, signalling the tech giant’s entry into the AI wearables market that is currently led by Meta.
The headset, priced starting from 1899 yuan (equivalent to US$268.25), is powered by Alibaba’s Qwen AI model and app. This device, unlike many other headsets, is designed to resemble regular eyeglasses with a black plastic frame. Alibaba shared that these glasses will be fully compatible with its suite of applications, including Alipay and the e-commerce platform, Taobao. Users of the Quark glasses will be able to perform tasks like translating languages on the go and recognizing prices instantly.
Beijing-based electronics industry expert, Li Chengdong, noted that Alibaba’s core competencies lie in shopping, payments, and navigation. Therefore, the AI glasses are more of a life assistant. This move into AI wearables comes as Alibaba is trying to gain ground in the consumer AI market where it has traditionally faced strong competition. Its pursuits in this space included a significant upgrade to its AI chatbot earlier this month.
Li explained that Alibaba’s approach to AI glasses is primarily about securing future online traffic in the face of fierce competition in China’s e-commerce industry. He added, “Alibaba’s hopes for AI are tied to cementing its position in the next wave of digital commerce.”
Available on leading Chinese e-commerce platforms including Tmall, JD, and Douyin, the Quark AI glasses are Alibaba’s latest product in the race for the next generation of AI-powered entertainment and computing devices. This race is currently led by the likes of Meta, which controls approximately 80% of the virtual reality headset industry, Apple with its Vision Pro headset, and Samsung Electronics with its Galaxy XR extended reality headset that utilizes AI technologies from Google.
Alibaba isn’t alone among Chinese tech companies in exploring AI-powered eyewear. Xiaomi introduced a similar product in June, while Baidu also has an AI eyewear product on the market.
What is the cost of Alibaba’s Quark AI glasses?
The glasses are priced starting from 1899 yuan, or approximately US$268.25.
What are some of the features of the Quark AI glasses?
The glasses, which look like regular eyewear, are powered by Alibaba’s Qwen AI model and app. Users can perform tasks such as on-the-go translation and instant price recognition directly from the glasses.
Which other tech companies have released similar AI-powered glasses?
Other Chinese tech companies, including Xiaomi and Baidu, have also released similar AI-powered glasses.
