Panasonic in China has teamed up with Alibaba Cloud to co-develop a smart-living platform powered by Qwen, Alibaba’s large language model (LLM).

The collaboration will bring enhanced AI capabilities to Panasonic’s home appliances, such as refrigerators and washing machines, across China.

As part of the partnership, the two companies will jointly invest in AI talent development in China and apply Alibaba Cloud’s AI technology to optimise Panasonic’s home appliance operations. The partners will also explore opportunities to expand smart-home technology into overseas markets beyond China, including south-east Asia and the Middle East.

“AI represents more than just a technological upgrade for the home appliance industry, it’s a complete transformation of the user experience,” said Lin Yibin, vice president of Panasonic Appliances. “This partnership will provide us with cutting-edge cloud computing, as well as leading AI model products and technologies, enabling AI to drive innovation in home appliances and deeply integrate technology into daily life. AI in home appliances is shaping the future of smart living, creating smart-home agents that sense surroundings, make decisions automatically and interact naturally. Together, we’re building a fully connected smart-home ecosystem that delivers personalised, scenario-driven experiences.”

Sean Yuan, regional general manager for Alibaba Cloud, added: “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Panasonic in exploring AI models’ potential for smart homes. Together, we aim to redefine convenience and intelligence in everyday life while contributing industry-leading insights.”

The alliance will bring to market a range of AI-powered use cases, including a Qwen-powered AI agent embedded into Panasonic’s edge devices. For example, Panasonic’s smart refrigerators will be able to track food inventory and alert users before items expire; recommend recipes based on available ingredients; and provide step-by-step cooking guidance when users upload food photos.

Panasonic will also leverage Alibaba Cloud’s AI model technology to upgrade its home appliance operations in China. The partnership should further boost its operational efficiency, accelerate Panasonic’s intelligent transformation in the home living sector and strengthen its competitive edge in tech-driven manufacturing.

To address the rising demand for AI expertise, the two companies also plan to run joint training initiatives ranging from online and offline programmes to certification courses, workshops and knowledge-sharing sessions focused on AI deployment in smart-home environments.

Panasonic (panasonic.cn) in China has been a partner of Alibaba Cloud (www.alibabacloud.com) since 2015, using its cloud infrastructure, data platforms and Wuying cloud desktops.

The collaboration now builds on Alibaba’s Qwen model family, which is globally recognised for its performance, cost efficiency and real-world deployment. The latest iteration, Qwen3 (qwenlm.github.io/blog/qwen3), ranks as the top open-source model on benchmarks such as Artificial Analysis and LiveBench. As of January 2025, over 290,000 enterprises – spanning robotics, automotive, healthcare and education – have adopted Qwen through Alibaba Cloud’s Model Studio to accelerate digital innovation.