August 5, 2025
5 min read
South China Morning Post
Alibaba’s Amap app launches Teacher Xiaogao, an AI agent powered by Qwen models to enhance navigation and trip planning with natural language.
Alibaba’s Amap App Gets an AI Upgrade with Qwen-Powered Agent
Alibaba’s mapping and local services platform, Amap, has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) agent named Teacher Xiaogao, marking a significant technological upgrade for its services. Powered by Alibaba’s proprietary Qwen family of foundational AI models, developed in collaboration with Tongyi Lab, Teacher Xiaogao enables users to navigate roads, plan trips, and receive personalized recommendations through natural language commands. For example, users can say "send me to the office" or "please find a quiet place with a lake view" to receive tailored guidance. This AI agent represents Alibaba’s push to deploy advanced AI models in practical, consumer-facing scenarios, an area where China aims to compete globally despite foundational AI models generally lagging behind those developed in the US. Amap, which also operates as a ride-hailing platform, boasts 1 billion active users, making it a major player in China’s mapping and local services market. Alibaba describes Teacher Xiaogao as the first "AI-native" agent specifically designed for mapping services. The agent features autonomous reasoning capabilities and leverages a diverse set of large AI models to enhance user experience and service accuracy.Key Features of Teacher Xiaogao
- Natural Language Interaction: Users can communicate with the agent using everyday language to get navigation and trip planning assistance.
- Autonomous Reasoning: The AI can understand complex queries and provide relevant responses without manual input.
- Integration with Alibaba’s AI Ecosystem: Built on Alibaba’s Qwen foundational models, the agent benefits from cutting-edge AI research and development. Alibaba continues to invest heavily in AI technologies, positioning itself as a leader in China’s tech landscape. The launch of Teacher Xiaogao on Amap highlights the company’s commitment to integrating AI into everyday applications to improve user convenience and service efficiency.
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Source: South China Morning Post