Alibaba's Qwen App opens to third-party AI agents with KFC, Luckin onboard

Alibaba-backed Qwen App has officially opened its platform to third-party AI agents and skills, letting companies deploy branded conversational AI assistants directly inside the app. Early adopters include KFC, Luckin Coffee, Mixue (a popular dessert chain), and China Eastern Airlines. Users can now order a bucket of chicken, reserve a latte, or book a flight — all through natural language conversations within Qwen's interface. The initiative transforms Qwen from a standalone chatbot into a commerce hub, embedding shopping, payments, and customer interactions into one seamless AI system.

This move positions Qwen as a direct competitor to WeChat's mini-program ecosystem but with a native AI layer. By enabling brands to run their own agents, Qwen captures high-intent commercial queries and keeps users within its app for end-to-end transactions. The integration with well-known consumer brands suggests Alibaba is leveraging its existing merchant relationships to bootstrap adoption. For professionals, this signals a shift: AI apps are evolving from answering questions to completing real-world tasks, potentially redefining how brands engage customers in China's competitive mobile market.