What is a smarter "you say, I do"?

Written by Li Jinlin

Edited by Li Ji

Typeset by Annalee

Jarvis in Iron Man is most people's first impression of an AI assistant. With just a simple command, Jarvis can quickly and accurately perform the corresponding action, saving Iron Man countless times in times of danger.

Back to reality, while not everyone can afford Iron Man's "money power" to create their own Jarvis, owning an AI assistant that can handle daily chores and improve life efficiency is no longer a challenge.

At the recently concluded Yunqi Conference, the latest technological advancements and product developments in cloud computing under the AI era were the focal points. With the rise of AI, people's lifestyles have subtly changed, and the accelerated deployment of large AI models has not only enhanced their own performance but also significantly improved the efficiency of services in people's lives. As Wu Yongming, CEO of Alibaba Group, put it, "The greatest imagination of generative AI lies not on mobile phone screens but in changing the physical world."

While it is a consensus that AI will bring disruptive changes to society as a whole, the crucial question may be how to integrate AI into the most basic aspects of daily life in a more convenient and streamlined manner.

Leave ticket booking, errands, and coffee runs to AI life assistants

"I often imagine a future where AI enters every household, with each person having their own assistant. Daily chores, while seemingly simple, can actually be very energy-consuming. If we could delegate these tasks to AI, it would save us a lot of hassle," said Yu Xin, a "Hufloater" who has always had a keen interest in emerging technology. In her view, the goal of technological development is to free up people's hands.

Although Yu Xin has previously used various AI-enabled software and hardware, it was only recently that she found an app that truly integrates into various aspects of daily life. "Take my daily commute, for example. With just two simple interactions on ZhiXiaobao, I can reach my destination without switching between apps for scanning, navigation, and bike rentals," she said.

Yu Xin demonstrated to ZnKedu that by opening the ZhiXiaobao app and entering the command "I want to take the subway," the subway entry code pops up immediately. After exiting the subway and needing to rent a shared bike for the final leg of her journey, she simply selects "Find nearby bikes for me" from the quick commands in the app, completing the entire process seamlessly without having to switch to another app.

Solve all travel issues with ZhiXiaobao

He Zhiqi, who recently traveled to Chongqing during the off-peak season, also relied on ZhiXiaobao to handle various travel-related chores. Before arriving in Chongqing, He was prepared to indulge in the local cuisine, so he and his travel companions often ordered takeout while visiting tourist attractions to save time.

"While queuing for a photo at a popular spot in Baixiangju, I simply told ZhiXiaobao, 'Order a cup of coffee to my current location,' and nearby coffee options popped up immediately, eliminating the need to open other apps or filter through options. The entire process was very convenient," He told ZnKedu.

He also mentioned that planning a trip with ZhiXiaobao was effortless. Based on his location, ZhiXiaobao recommended visiting the Huxi Campus Art Museum at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. Upon arrival, He was impressed by the artistic design of the facade made of broken porcelain pieces. "The recommended route was reasonable and tailored to my personal travel needs, making me feel understood," he said.

In fact, this is achieved through ZhiXiaobao's collaborations with numerous tourist attractions, cultural tourism organizations, and business districts. When users arrive in specific areas, ZhiXiaobao can recommend specific spatial agents to provide personalized services such as AI tour guides, ticket bookings, and dining recommendations.

In September of this year, Huangshan Scenic Area in Anhui announced a partnership with Alipay to create China's first "full-AI tour guide" scenic area. Upon arrival, visitors can quickly access Huangshan's spatial agent through the ZhiXiaobao app. Using AOI (Area of Interest) technology, the agent provides real-time information on current attractions, navigation with images and text, and tips on how to take the perfect photo. Additionally, it offers travel tips, quick ticketing, nearby restaurant and power bank queries, and more.

ZhiXiaobao simplifies travel

After experiencing ZhiXiaobao, both Yu Xin and He Zhiqi decided to teach their parents how to use the app as soon as they returned home. Compared to other smart apps, ZhiXiaobao has a lower learning curve and high practicality. "Especially for my parents, who often need to top up phone credit, pay utility bills, and navigate, ZhiXiaobao can handle all these tasks in one app," said Yu Xin.

The interface of the ZhiXiaobao app is straightforward, featuring only three main categories: "Now," "Conversations," and "Agents." However, it covers most common daily scenarios. The quick commands include weather checks, package tracking, spending summaries, taxi hailing, bus rides, phone credit top-ups, and social security inquiries, making it user-friendly even for those less familiar with smart apps.

Practical operations and scenarios are precisely what users seek when experiencing the changes brought about by AI.

Personalized services tailored to diverse lifestyles

While many may still perceive AI as abstract and unable to bring tangible changes, its integration into various needs has demonstrated its ability to enhance daily life, transcending the realm of science fiction.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, expressed in an interview this year, "We need to think deeply about AI, just as we no longer consciously think about electricity because it's everywhere. In the future, AI will also be ubiquitous in every aspect of our lives."

Everyone has unique needs and lifestyles. Driving large AI models from general capabilities towards personalized applications is a core proposition in the AI industry. ZhiXiaobao aims to do just that. With user authorization, it can remember individuals' commuting patterns, food preferences, and travel interests, intelligently perceiving usage contexts and time to recommend tailored services.

For instance, every morning, ZhiXiaobao reminds users of potential rain and suggests carrying an umbrella, highlighting trending news. Upon leaving home, it automatically displays the subway code upon approaching a subway station. At lunchtime, it suggests a coffee or milk tea based on users' habits. After work, it helps track packages and recommends nearby walking routes or weekend travel itineraries. As users continue to interact with ZhiXiaobao, its intelligence evolves to better align with their lifestyles and preferences.

ZhiXiaobao offers smarter "you say, I do" services

The "Agents" section of the app features various AI conversation partners such as "HangXiaoyi," "AoXiaobao," "Five-Star Chef," "Senior Cultural Tour Guide," "Senior Nutritionist," "Fitness Coach," "School and Career Advisor," and "Tarot Reader." These personified, customized agents respond quickly to daily needs, enhancing user engagement and iteratively improving service levels through preference learning.

ZhiXiaobao strives to make everyone their own AI life assistant, anticipating and fulfilling their needs.

AI taking over daily chores for smarter "you say, I do" experiences

The global AI technology landscape is booming, driving a new round of technological and industrial revolutions. Embracing the AI wave to create exceptional user experiences is not only the current theme but also the future prospect.

According to a report by Bain & Company, the AI-related market is projected to grow by 40% to 55% annually from its 2022 base of $185 billion, reaching $780 billion to $990 billion by 2027. Amid this promising outlook, technological advancements and application deployments across the AI value chain will spark numerous innovations across industries.

Alipay's ZhiXiaobao, based on Ant Group's Bailing large model, is China's first standalone AI service app. Its emergence underscores Ant Group's accelerated AI-first strategy. In 2023, Ant Group completed the registration of its self-developed Bailing large model. Over the past two years, Ant Group has leveraged Bailing's capabilities across over 500 scenarios in transportation, government affairs, healthcare, and more, serving hundreds of millions of users with daily invocations exceeding 200 million and processing tens of billions of tokens daily.

"More specialized problems can be solved by more specialized AI agents," said Wang Yifei, head of the ZhiXiaobao product. ZhiXiaobao makes smarter "you say, I do" experiences a reality, integrating AI life assistants into daily life to cultivate personalized AI butlers that precisely meet user needs, effortlessly enhancing quality of life and efficiency.

Backed by Alipay's rich service ecosystem, users can access a vast array of premium services with just a simple voice command. At this year's Bund Summit, Alipay officially launched its Agent Ecosystem Open Plan and introduced the "Treasure Chest" agent development platform. Leveraging agent building capabilities, businesses can create customized agents in as little as one minute with zero coding and publish them to Alipay Mini Programs, the Alipay app, and the ZhiXiaobao app with a single click.

In the future, by connecting with more agents, ZhiXiaobao will provide users with an even more comprehensive experience. This exemplifies the transition of large AI models from general capabilities to personalized applications and marks a pivotal point in the development of digital services in the new AI era.