Alibaba International Launches AI Talent Recruitment Blitz to Power Global Growth

Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group (AIDC), the overseas-facing e-commerce arm of Alibaba Group, is doubling down on artificial intelligence to accelerate its global expansion. On April 8, the company unveiled “Bravo 102,” a bold new initiative to recruit and cultivate top AI talent worldwide.

Under the program, AIDC announced that over 80% of its campus recruitment positions for 2026 will be AI-related, ranging from large language model (LLM) engineering to AI product management and data operations. This is part of a larger strategy to integrate AI deeply into the core of its international platforms like AliExpress, Lazada, and Trendyol — streamlining everything from search and recommendation to customer service and logistics.

In a statement, the company emphasized that it is not just hiring AI talent — it’s building an “AI-native organization” designed to develop and deploy proprietary large models for commerce. These models aim to power intelligent shopping experiences tailored to local user behavior in markets across Europe, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.

This marks a strategic pivot from Alibaba’s earlier focus on pure marketplace expansion, shifting toward infrastructure-level AI transformation. For example, AIDC has been testing generative AI tools to automate product listings and personalize promotions in multiple languages. The Bravo 102 program will also be linked to mentorship from senior researchers within the Alibaba DAMO Academy and external partnerships with global AI institutes.

The announcement comes as Alibaba faces growing competition from platforms like Amazon, Temu, and Shein in international markets. By investing heavily in AI infrastructure and talent, AIDC is signaling its commitment to not just scale overseas — but to redefine the global e-commerce user experience through AI.