Alibaba teams up with BMW to develop AI for cars in China
BMW is about to make its cars very smart, and Alibaba’s AI is the secret weapon behind it.
Alibaba has been going all in on artificial intelligence, releasing new AI models that can supposedly read emotions and working with automakers like Xpeng and Zeekr to power next-generation smart cars.
Now, they’re taking things a bit further by expanding their long-running partnership with BMW to bring their AI expertise into luxury vehicles. BMW and Alibaba have been working together since 2015, but this new deal would be their biggest collaboration yet.
Starting 2026, BMW’s Neue Klasse models in China will feature an upgraded Intelligent Personal Assistant (IPA) powered by Alibaba’s Tongyi large language model.
Alibaba says the new IPA is designed to understand context, anticipate needs, and sound more like a human than a robot. It’ll make recommendations, plan trips, and even adjust based on how you’re feeling—at least eventually. For now, it’s more like a travel buddy who actually listens and remembers what you like.
Kelechi Edeh
The upgraded experience will debut at the Shanghai Auto Show in April, where BMW and Alibaba will show off their new AI-driven cockpit. Alongside the IPA, they’re also introducing two AI agents: Car Genius, which helps with car functions, and Travel Companion, which basically acts like a smart personal guide in your dashboard.
For BMW, this could be a smart move in an ultra-competitive market. Partnering with a local AI powerhouse lets them move faster without building everything from scratch. And for drivers it means saying things like, “Hey, I need a restaurant near Chaoyang Park with good reviews, cheap parking, and a decent menu under 200 CNY,” and actually getting results that make sense.
At this rate, driving in the future won’t just mean getting from point A to B—it’ll mean having a car that understands you, talks to you, and maybe even plans your weekend trips for you.
