From shopping carts to superchips: Alibaba rediscovers edge with bold billion-dollar AI pivot

Key Points

  • Alibaba has participated in deals worth more than $3.3 billion since Nov. 2022, when OpenAI released ChatGPT 3.5, according to CNBC’s analysis of PitchBook data.
  • “Alibaba is positioning itself as China’s most aggressive AI investor,” said Wei Sun, principal analyst at Counterpoint.
  • There are also political considerations, which are particularly relevant for Alibaba since it became the poster child for China’s crackdown on internet tech companies.