Alibaba Group Holding developed the workplace collaboration app DingTalk and has announced a new subscription service that offers various artificial intelligence (AI) features for its members.
The service called DingTalk 365 offers more than 10 features including AI-powered search, virtual assistant, and automated reply, according to a DingTalk post published on Monday on the platform’s public WeChat account. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. The search feature, for example, uses large language models –the technology underpinning generative AI (GenAI) applications like ChatGPT to analyze, summarise, and generate text from a vast sea of information, such as chats and files, spread across the DingTalk platform to help boost users’ productivity.
The annual subscription fee for DingTalk 365 costs 339 yuan (US$56), but the service is currently being offered at an introductory rate of 169 yuan. Existing DingTalk users are required to update their app to version 7.6.16 or higher to subscribe to the new service.DingTalk’s latest program reflects how domestic Big Tech firms are stepping up the roll-out of commercial GenAI products and services, nearly two years after Microsoft-backed OpenAI released ChatGPT to ignite a global AI arms race. GenAI consists of algorithms that can be used to create new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations, and videos. GenAI applications are forecast to add up to US$2 trillion worth of annual economic benefits to China, according to consulting firm McKinsey.
With DingTalk 365, an AI search user can use simple prompts such as ‘find the project delivery report file’ or ‘find tasks that involve me next week’, to get an immediate response, instead of wasting time hunting for bits of information previously sent by a colleague or going through various correspondence to piece together a work plan. Also, DingTalk 365 includes a virtual online conference assistant to summarise the minutes of a meeting, online document editing, and a virtual assistant that automatically keeps tabs on specific projects to enable a user to remain in the loop on new developments. According to data service Statista., China’s GenAI market is projected to reach US$3.15 billion this year and grow to US$31.12 billion by 2030.