Summary: Platforms like Taobao, with their 1 billion users, are becoming the world's largest and most influential AI application scenarios, thanks to their vast commercial ecosystems, complete transaction loops, and massive data pools.

If you want to see how artificial intelligence is truly reshaping the world, you don’t need to look to the labs of tech giants—just open Taobao on your phone. The 2025 Double 11 shopping festival is a concentrated display of unprecedented AI applications in daily life, proving that AI-driven productivity improvements are no longer a distant story.

In e-commerce, especially on platforms like Taobao, AI is leveraging its extensive commercial ecosystem, closed-loop transactions, and big data to become one of the most mature and dynamic AI application scenarios globally.

**AI "Overload" During Double 11** This year, consumers noticed a significant reduction in browsing time. Frequently searched items now appear "thoughtfully" on the homepage, making recommendations more precise. Before purchasing, especially for durable goods or complex decisions like baby and pet products, many shoppers consult AI first.

Taobao’s AI-powered search tool, launched ahead of Double 11, has addressed nearly 50 million consumer queries, allowing direct checkout from search results. AI-driven features like shopping lists and image-based search have revolutionized shopping behavior—shifting from "searching" and "scrolling" to "generating." AI is now a new gateway, deeply influencing user decisions.

Statistics show that 46% of users increased their AI usage for shopping this year, with the 20–39 age group driving the growth. On average, AI-assisted shoppers spend about 4.5 hours weekly, with 45% relying on AI during product comparisons. Nearly 90% of users want AI to provide clear "recommendation reasons."

**AI as a "Digital Partner" for Businesses** During Double 11, Taobao’s servers not only handled massive transactions but also powered a large-scale AI collaboration experiment. Over 5 million merchants actively used AI tools like "Business Steward," transforming AI from a concept into a productivity booster.

For small and medium-sized businesses like Naissen Furniture, AI has simplified complex data analysis. Their "Double 11 Assistant" not only lists data but also explains changes and suggests strategies. A Naissen representative noted, "This year’s Double 11 was much easier—we just checked the AI report daily."

AI also revolutionized marketing and customer service. Alimama’s AI-generated marketing materials saved merchants over 40 million yuan daily in production costs. Meanwhile, AI customer service tools improved conversion rates by 30%, reducing operational costs.

**Underlying Technological Evolution** Taobao’s success as an AI "training ground" stems from three advantages: diverse scenarios, comprehensive consumer data, and merchant demand for growth. Alibaba’s e-commerce chief, Kaifu, highlighted AI’s role in boosting GMV through three stages: rebuilding search infrastructure, empowering merchants, and creating consumer-facing AI products.

This evolution marks a shift from "searching for products" to "AI understanding people." During Double 11, Taobao’s search and recommendation efficiency improved by double digits, as AI achieved deep "understanding" of 2 billion products.

**Brands Compete for "AI Mindshare"** AI is rewriting competition rules, making product innovation and brand differentiation critical. Naissen Furniture, for example, used AI to identify a niche market—repurposing pig feeding troughs as toy organizers—and turned it into a bestseller.

Alimama’s "Brand New Power" metric helps brands uncover AI-driven opportunities. For instance, skincare brand Pechoin entered the "anti-aging repair" segment with AI guidance, boosting search conversions by 23%.

Kaifu emphasized that future success hinges on a brand’s ability to innovate and meet consumer needs, shifting from "traffic competition" to "value competition."

**Conclusion** This year’s Double 11 marks a turning point, where AI transforms e-commerce into an intelligent, understanding-driven ecosystem. The ultimate winners will be brands that AI understands and deems worthy of recommendation. As the epicenter of this change, Taobao is accelerating toward a new era of AI-powered commerce.