At its first flagship event, “CoCreate Europe,” Alibaba.com, a leading global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce platform, unveiled “AI Mode.” This new feature integrates agentic AI capabilities directly into the user journey. Its launch marks a new direction for AI-driven global commerce and a pivotal moment in the company’s evolution into an AI-agent-powered e-commerce platform.
With this announcement, Alibaba.com is responding to the platform’s dynamic growth: Order volume in Europe has increased by 57% year-over-year, while the number of active suppliers worldwide has grown by 50% compared to the same period last year. These increases reflect the growing confidence of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in cross-border trade and pave the way for Alibaba.com’s next strategic phase: the integration of artificial intelligence into the global trading experience.
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The “AI Mode” is scheduled for launch in December. It represents a new approach for companies to search for, evaluate, and contact suppliers in the $30 trillion B2B market.
A strategic decision for agentic AI
With nearly 90% of B2B buyers now using AI tools for procurement and evaluation and AI driving more than half of all online searches, the demand for intelligent, accurate, and actionable insights has undergone a fundamental transformation.
Alibaba.com announced in September 2025 that it would supplement its traditional keyword-based search with deep search based on major language models. Now, with “AI Mode,” Alibaba.com is taking the next step by integrating agent-based AI functions directly into the user journey.
Once the “AI Mode” goes live, it interprets natural language queries, analyzes technical specifications, and automatically compares suppliers based on pricing, logistics, certifications, and production capacity – delivering tailored recommendations within seconds. By tightly integrating with existing Alibaba.com services such as secure transactions with Trade Assurance and after-sales service, the “AI Mode” aims to provide a fully automated, end-to-end trading experience.
“Artificial intelligence is no longer just a complementary tool at Alibaba.com – it is evolving into the operating system of our platform,” commented Kuo Zhang, President of Alibaba.com.
Unlocking the “hidden product shelf”
The “AI Mode” is powered by Accio, the world’s first AI-driven B2B search engine, launched in 2024 and continuously developed. With its advanced multimodal understanding, Accio can extract meaning from unstructured input – including product sketches, technical designs, documents, certificates, as well as factory capacities and performance records – and match it with relevant manufacturing capabilities.
The feature unlocks what Alibaba.com calls the “hidden product shelf”: the vast network of specialized, customer-specific, or regionally focused suppliers – often high-potential SMEs – whose expertise remains invisible under traditional, keyword-driven search models.
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By identifying these suppliers, “AI Mode” can help SMEs improve their product innovation and strengthen the resilience of their supply chain.
Europe is relying on AI-powered trade
The increase in European orders underscores the profound transformation underway in the region’s business landscape. According to a study conducted by Censuswide for Alibaba.com, 90% of European SMEs now say that product innovation is critical to their growth strategy, and 62% are confident that AI tools can be used to drive innovation in design, sourcing, and manufacturing.
Driven by stricter sustainability regulations, the need to diversify supply chains, and increasing competition, European companies are turning to smarter, faster, and more transparent procurement solutions. “AI Mode” was developed precisely for this environment – it helps buyers meet compliance requirements, identify sustainable partners, and bring customized products to market faster, without requiring the expansion of internal teams.
In Alibaba.com’s commitment to European SMEs, “AI Mode” is a technological milestone and strategic enabler. With “AI Mode,” companies gain a tool to be globally competitive, implement innovations efficiently, and make procurement smarter.
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Source – PR Newswire
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