Alibaba has officially launched its new Quark artificial intelligence glasses in China, marking the company’s entry into the global AI wearables market, Reuters reported. The headset, priced starting at 1,899 yuan ($268.25), is powered by Alibaba’s Qwen AI model and app and is designed to look like regular eyewear with a black plastic frame.
Unlike other AI headsets, such as those from Meta and Apple, the Quark glasses integrate closely with Alibaba’s ecosystem, including its Alipay payment app and Taobao shopping platform. Users can leverage the device for on-the-go translation, instant price recognition, and other AI-assisted tasks.
The launch represents a major push by Alibaba into the consumer AI sector, where the company has historically trailed its global competitors. Earlier this month, it rolled out a significant upgrade to its AI chatbot, signaling its commitment to expanding AI applications across devices.
The global race for AI-powered wearables has intensified, with Instagram-owner Meta dominating the VR headset industry with roughly 80% market share. Apple sells its Vision Pro headset, while Samsung Electronics recently released its Galaxy XR extended reality headset, which incorporates AI features developed by Google.
Reuters noted that Alibaba is not alone among Chinese tech firms entering this space. Xiaomi launched a similar AI glasses product in June, and Baidu already offers a comparable device on the market. Analysts say the expansion of AI-enabled wearables reflects broader efforts by major tech companies to explore new forms of entertainment, computing, and consumer engagement.
