Alibaba bets on gen AI tools for overseas merchants, executive says

(This July 9 story has been refiled to correct the title of Kaifu Zhang in paragraph 1)

SINGAPORE - Chinese tech giant Alibaba's international e-commerce unit is tapping generative AI-powered tools to help cross-border merchants with translation, content creation and product returns, senior executive Kaifu Zhang said.

Speaking on stage at the Reuters Next Conference in Singapore, the vice president of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group and head of artificial intelligence (AI) initiative, said he was bullish on AI's potential for the company, even in the face of increasing tensions between China and the U.S..

"China is pretty much on par with the U.S in the rate of (AI) innovation," said Zhang, who highlighted the global developments made in China and Europe in open-source AI technology.

The sprawling tech conglomerate has been grappling with how to make its global marketplaces, including AliExpress and Lazada, more competitive after restructuring its international e-commerce unit into a standalone business.

The advantages of an early head-start have faded in recent years, with sales and growth outshone by China-founded peers Shein and NASDAQ-listed PDD's Temu.

According to Zhang, Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group now has 300 million consumers yearly and over one million merchants around the world.

The unit has become one of Alibaba's brightest growth areas. Earnings grew 44% in the October to December period from a year earlier.

To view the live broadcast of the World Stage go to the Reuters NEXT news page: https://www.reuters.com/world/reuters-next/

(Reporting by Fanny Potkin, Sameer Manekar, and Alessandra Galloni in Singapore. Editing by Jan Harvey)