Alibaba.com is making its largest artificial intelligence (AI) investment to date as new research shows small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are rapidly adopting digital tools to manage global commerce.
According to Alibaba.com’s latest survey, 63% of SMEs worldwide now seek AI support for cross-border trade. The company announced the overhaul at CoCreate 2025, its annual summit for SMEs, held the first week of September in Las Vegas this year. The event attracted more than 3,500 attendees and received 25,000 business pitch submissions from entrepreneurs across 150 countries, highlighting both the scale of interest and the growing pressure on smaller companies to expand internationally with fewer resources.
Alibaba owns the world’s two largest online marketplaces by gross merchandise value (GMV), Taobao and Tmall. Taobao ranks No. 1 in the Global Online Marketplaces Database, Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the largest such marketplaces by GMV. Tmall ranks No. 2. Both platforms operate in China and primarily serve the Chinese market. Among Alibaba’s other marketplaces is the global B2B marketplace Alibaba.com.
Alibaba highlights AI investment at CoCreate
The central part of the initiative is Deep Search, an AI-driven procurement tool that allows businesses to search for 280 million product listings using natural language and image-based queries. Unlike traditional search engines, Alibaba says, the system dissects complex questions, cross-references multiple data points, and ranks results by relevance to connect buyers with suppliers more quickly. Alibaba.com said the tool can cut sourcing time from days to seconds while improving the accuracy of supplier matches.
Another highlight is Accio, described as the world’s first AI agent dedicated to global trade. Incubated by Alibaba.com and launched in May 2024 under Alibaba International, the platform integrates sourcing, compliance, prototyping, and product design into a single workflow.
The company reported that within a month of releasing its “Agent Mode,” Accio’s user base jumped by 1.5 million, a 50% increase. The tool now automates about 70% of manual tasks associated with international commerce.
“AI isn’t a luxury — it’s survival, especially in B2B, where high-stakes decisions demand innovation,” said Kuo Zhang, president of Alibaba.com.
He added that the company is reworking its 26-year-old platform to meet evolving buyer expectations, shifting away from simple keyword searches toward multimodal, AI-powered tools.
Founded in 1999, Alibaba.com connects buyers and suppliers in more than 200 countries. The platform is part of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, which has positioned AI as central to its strategy of reducing barriers for SMEs in global trade.
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