Alibaba’s navigation platform Amap has launched a major upgrade to be the world’s first AI-native map application- Amap 2025. The latest version will progressively roll out to over 1 billion active usersworldwide.

Powered by Qwen,Alibaba’s flagship foundation models, Amapwill be transformed from a navigation tool into a proactive travel partner. This underscores the company‘s strategic shift to a ”user first“ and ”AI-driven“ approach and ambition to integrate AI across its existing business for real-world daily life enhancements.

Xiao Gao: The Ultimate Agentic AI Assistant for Navigation

Working with Alibaba’s Tongyi Lab, Amap has developed Xiao Gao, an AI assistant that combines navigation and spatial intelligence with the latestAI capabilities. Xiao Gao goesbeyond just providing the best route, and becomes a smart travel partner that can reason, plan, and execute tasks based on the user’s preference. The beta version will be available initially to users in China.

Xiao Gaocan provide personalized recommendations, from finding aquiet coffee shopto planning a detailed road trip, making a last-minute restaurant reservation, or changingreal-time plans. The AI assistant anticipates user needs based on past preferences and finds the best travel options with a consideration of a wide range of factorsincluding real-timetraffic andweather conditions.

“Spatial intelligence is the capability to perceive, reason, and act within three-dimensional space and time, enabling maps to evolve from passive sensing to proactive prediction,” said Amap CEO Guo Ning. “With Amap 2025, we aspire to transform AI from a conversational tool to an actionable partner for our users.”

Guo Ning envisions that Amap 2025’s spatial intelligence will help propel transformative leaps across sectors like smart vehicles, AR glasses, embodied AI, and urban air mobility, bringing the “Amap-AI Inside” vision to life.

This AI-powered upgrade aligns with Alibaba’s February announcement to invest in AI-driven transformation of existing businesses over the next three years. Following Quark’s major upgrade in March, this marks another key advancement in integrating AI to Alibaba products to create tangible value for its users.

Founded in 2002, Amap is China’s leading digital mapping and navigation platform. It offers one-stop access to services such as navigation, local services, and ride-hailing.