Alibaba’s mapping and local‑services arm, Amap, introduced a new AI‑powered tool that lets restaurants generate immersive 3‑D interior visuals by simply uploading short videos or photos. The service, built on Alibaba’s visual “Wan” AI model, is offered free to a select group of businesses for a limited period, giving merchants a low‑cost way to showcase their dining spaces online.
The Wan model, originally designed for text‑to‑video generation, has been adapted to convert 2‑D media into realistic 3‑D renderings. Restaurants can upload a handful of shots, and the system automatically stitches them into a walk‑through view that can be embedded on websites, social media, or the Amap app. The result is a high‑quality marketing asset that would otherwise require a professional photographer and 3‑D designer, cutting marketing spend by an estimated 30‑50% for small‑to‑medium‑size operators.
Strategically, the launch is a direct challenge to Meituan’s dominance in China’s local‑services market. By enriching Amap’s merchant‑side offerings, Alibaba aims to attract more restaurants to its platform, increase user engagement, and create new revenue streams through future premium features and data analytics. The move also signals Alibaba’s broader “AI‑first” strategy, which has seen the company invest heavily in cloud and AI infrastructure to drive growth across its ecosystem.
Earnings from the new tool are expected to grow as the free trial expands. Alibaba plans to monetize the service with tiered premium options—such as advanced analytics on customer footfall and dynamic pricing suggestions—and by leveraging the data collected to enhance its broader local‑services recommendations. The initiative also positions Amap to capture a larger share of the trillion‑dollar local‑services market by offering differentiated, AI‑driven value to merchants.
Eddie Wu, Alibaba’s CEO, emphasized that the launch “demonstrates how AI can transform everyday business operations and create tangible value for merchants.” He added that the company’s focus on AI is a key driver of its long‑term growth strategy, reinforcing the importance of the new tool in Alibaba’s competitive positioning.
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