Alibaba to launch AI glasses in bid to rival Meta
Chinese tech conglomerate Alibaba has announced its entry into the wearable technology market with the upcoming launch of its first smart glasses, powered by the company’s in-house artificial intelligence platforms.
Named the Quark AI Glasses, the device is set to debut in China by the end of 2025 and will be backed by Alibaba’s Qwen large language model and its intelligent assistant, Quark.
The move marks Alibaba’s first major step into smart eyewear, placing it in direct competition with Meta - whose Ray-Ban-branded smart glasses have led developments in the sector - as well as domestic rival Xiaomi, which introduced its own AI glasses earlier this year.
Read more: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2551844/meta-unveils-oakley-smart-glasses-with-ai-and-3k-video
While full specifications and pricing are yet to be revealed, Alibaba confirmed that the glasses will include key features such as hands-free calling, music playback, real-time translation, meeting transcription, and a built-in camera.
#Alibaba debuts its first Quark AI glasses at #WAIC2025 in Shanghai. Powered by Qualcomm’s and China’s Bestechnic chips, the glasses offer voice control, real-time translation, and transcription. 👓
They’re fully integrated with Alibaba apps, including Alipay for payments and… pic.twitter.com/LIzrlcUzIsThe device will also integrate with Alibaba’s broader ecosystem, allowing users to access navigation tools, pay via Alipay, and shop on Taobao directly through the glasses.
The company, headquartered in Hangzhou, sees the Quark AI Glasses as part of a wider trend in the tech industry, where smart glasses are increasingly viewed as the next evolution of computing—alongside smartphones.
Quark, Alibaba’s AI assistant launched earlier this year as a standalone mobile app, will now expand its presence through hardware. This approach is seen as a strategic step to enhance user interaction and widen adoption.
Alibaba is positioning itself as a leading force in China's AI landscape, developing homegrown models and products to rival those from international firms such as OpenAI.
No official release date or market price has been provided, though the company confirmed a domestic rollout by year’s end.