Alibaba Group vs ByteDance

Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment Names Alibaba Group an Official Technology and Cloud Partner of the Brooklyn Nets

Alibaba Group has been named an official technology and cloud partner of the Brooklyn Nets by Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, announced September 28, 2026.

Huawei and Alibaba AI Chip Launches Boost Xi Ahead of US Visit

Ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's first US state visit in over a decade, Chinese tech giants have accelerated AI chip and model launches, signaling resilience against US export controls. Huawei advanced its Ascent 960DT chip release by three quarters to Q1 2027, while Alibaba unveiled the Zhenwu V900 chip, claiming triple the performance of its predecessor, available in early 2027. DeepSeek reportedly assembled the largest known cluster of Huawei chips. These moves aim to demonstrate that US restrictions can slow but not halt China's AI progress. However, analysts note US models remain ahead, and China still depends on US advanced chips. Export controls were not on the summit agenda, as both sides focus on other issues.

• Xi Jinping's US state visit is his first in 11 years.
• Huawei advanced its Ascent 960DT AI chip release to Q1 2027, three quarters ahead of schedule.
• Alibaba unveiled the Zhenwu V900 AI chip, tripling predecessor performance, on sale in early 2027.

Alibaba Launches Qwen Intelligence for Agentic Smartphones

Alibaba has unveiled Qwen Intelligence, a new platform designed to power agentic AI on smartphones. The platform enables device manufacturers to develop intelligent assistants capable of planning and executing complex tasks across multiple apps. HONOR is the first partner to integrate Qwen Intelligence, with the HONOR Magic9 Series and the upcoming HONOR Robot Phone among the first devices to feature it. The platform includes three pre-configured agents: Mobile Planner, Mobile-Use, and Mobile Creative. It is built on three layers: optimized Qwen models, a modular platform for deployment and tool control, and a device-cloud architecture. Alibaba plans to add personalized memory, multimodal interactions, and specialized agents from partners. The company has also developed four benchmarks, including MobilePA-Bench with over 1,000 tasks, to evaluate mobile agent performance. HONOR and Alibaba report up to 91.8% task precision and orchestration of over 100 steps, with first devices launching end of September.

• Alibaba launched Qwen Intelligence, a platform for agentic AI on smartphones.
• HONOR is the first partner, integrating Qwen Intelligence into the Magic9 Series and Robot Phone.
• The platform includes three agents: Mobile Planner, Mobile-Use, and Mobile Creative.

TikTok Expands Off-Platform Ad Network to US

TikTok expanded its TikTok Ad Network (formerly Pangle) to US advertisers, announced at Advertising Week New York. The network spans nearly 400,000 premium third-party apps globally, allowing advertisers to extend campaigns off-platform. It aims to increase TikTok's share of ad budgets by leveraging its data and algorithms. Advertisers express cautious interest, seeking transparency, control, and proof of incremental reach, while noting competition from Google, Meta, and Amazon. Some see potential for lower CPMs and improved performance with proper guardrails. TikTok's US ad revenue was $14.12 billion in 2025, projected to reach $17.69 billion in 2026, with global ad revenue projected at $43.89 billion by end of 2026.

• TikTok expanded its TikTok Ad Network (formerly Pangle) to US advertisers at Advertising Week New York.
• The network spans nearly 400,000 premium apps globally and sells ads across TikTok's own apps and third-party apps.
• TikTok's US ad revenue was $14.12 billion in 2025, projected to reach $17.69 billion in 2026.

WeChat and Alipay Gate AI Phone Agents in China

A recent analysis examines how China's AI phone ecosystem is controlled by super-apps like WeChat and Alipay, which decide whether AI assistants can operate within their apps. The article highlights Nubia's second-generation Doubao phone, powered by ByteDance's AI, which failed to complete tasks inside WeChat, Alipay, and other apps due to restrictions. Alibaba launched Qwen Intelligence for agentic smartphones, while the CAC added new on-device agents to its registry. Key insight: regulatory filings do not grant app access; super-apps like Alipay and WeChat open their services but not their screens, positioning themselves as gatekeepers. The article notes that deals so far turn AI phones into switchboards, with the assistant interpreting requests and the app controlling service execution and payment.

• Nubia began selling its second-generation Doubao phone on September 16, 2026, with ByteDance's AI assistant, which failed to complete tasks in WeChat and other apps.
• Alibaba launched Qwen Intelligence on September 22, 2026, to power agentic smartphones.
• The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) registered three new on-device phone agents on September 22, 2026, from Honor, Xiaomi, and StepFun.

China's AI Shopping-Agent War Shows Europe the Future

This analysis compares conflicts between AI shopping agents and e-commerce platforms in China and the US, and draws implications for Europe. In China, ByteDance's Doubao agent was initially blocked by Taobao and WeChat, but later integrated through negotiations and a formal access protocol (SAEP). In the US, Amazon blocked Meta's Muse agent, which then partnered with Shopify. The article argues that AI agents will shift advertising from selling attention to charging for outcomes, such as commissions and access fees, potentially benefiting platforms like Meta. It advises European retailers to make their product data agent-readable and predicts that Europe will rely on regulation, transparency, and data protection rules rather than commercial deals or super-app control. Ting Wasner-Lian, founder of SE Incubator Consulting in Vienna, offers strategic insights for European decision-makers.

• In December 2025, ByteDance launched its first AI phone with Doubao AI agent, which was promptly blocked by Taobao, WeChat, and several banking apps.
• From January 2026, ByteDance integrated third-party ride-hailing, food delivery, and ticketing services into Doubao, and in September introduced a formal access protocol called SAEP.
• On September 21, 2026, Amazon blocked Meta's AI shopping agent Muse; Meta then partnered with Shopify to allow purchases on its merchant network.