Alipay launches Abao, an AI-driven feature, giving it a head start in the competitive landscape of super app AI in China.
Credit: Alipay
Alipay, the leading mobile payment and super app in China, has announced the launch of its AI-driven assistant, Abao, and has begun invitation-only testing for users. This marks the most significant redesign in the platform's history and indicates a complete transition towards AI-based services. Starting June 16, selected users will be able to access the updated interface by simply swiping right, with a wider rollout anticipated in the upcoming months.
The redesign seeks to streamline interactions and integrate services, transitioning mobile apps from a conventional service-discovery approach to an AI-focused experience, where services are provided directly through conversation. Alipay has assured that strict payment and user authorization safeguards remain in place.
Users can utilize Abao through a chat interface to perform various daily tasks with a single prompt, such as checking housing fund balances, finding EV charging stations, paying bills, and booking services, as reported by GeekPark. Alipay claims that the assistant can link users to tens of thousands of real-world service scenarios and transform conversations into actions.
The new interface has been simplified into two main sections: Abao and Assets. Financial records are gathered in a unified ledger, allowing users to gain a clearer perspective on their spending and earnings. For security reasons, any transaction involving fund transfers still necessitates explicit user approval. The AI can only undertake actions that users have authorized, while Alipay continues to maintain its established payment protection guarantee.
Acknowledging that not all users may be prepared for an AI-centric experience, Alipay allows users to switch freely between the classic version and the new AI interface.
Credit: GeekPark
This launch is significant as it occurs while WeChat — China’s largest super app with the most extensive user base and strongest social ecosystem — is still determining how to incorporate AI agents into its platform. By positioning AI as a primary entry point and initiating large-scale testing, Alipay has potentially taken the lead in the effort to redefine the next generation of super apps.
Payments and daily services are seen as highly favorable environments for AI agents, since they are characterized by frequent use, clear goals, and explicit user intentions, making them well-suited for AI-driven task execution. Unlike traditional chatbots that mostly provide information, Abao is directly linked to practical services such as government benefits, utility payments, transport, and healthcare. This connection allows a full workflow from grasping user intent to executing the task requested.
Credit: Alipay
If the trial garners positive feedback, it could expedite Alipay’s transformation from a payment service into a comprehensive AI life assistant. This may elevate pressure on competitors, including WeChat, to hasten the rollout of their own AI strategies.
In the coming years, the competition to become users' primary digital agent may become one of the most critical battlegrounds in China’s internet sector.
Jessie Wu is a tech reporter based in Shanghai, covering consumer electronics, semiconductors, and the gaming industry for TechNode. Connect with her via email: jessie.wu@technode.com. More by Jessie Wu.
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Alipay launches Abao, an AI-driven feature, giving it a head start in the competitive landscape of super app AI in China.
Alipay, the top mobile payments and super app platform in China, has introduced its AI-driven assistant Abao and has started invitation-only testing for users.