Alibaba formed a new business unit called Alibaba Token Hub, led by CEO Eddie Wu, to consolidate all of its AI operations including model research lab Tongyi Laboratory, its Qwen AI assistant, enterprise AI platform Wukong, and its model-as-a-service business line. The move comes as Alibaba works to integrate its AI models more deeply into its retail and service platforms, turning chatbots into action-taking assistants capable of handling tasks from shopping to task management. The consolidation follows the departure of Qwen tech lead Lin Junyang earlier this month, which analysts flagged as a potential setback for the company’s AI ambitions.
