Alibaba and Li Auto have thrown fresh weight behind AI-powered smart glasses, signaling that China intends to challenge Meta in one of the most closely watched wearable categories.
The twin launches highlight a broader shift as tech groups look beyond smartphones for the next major gateway into artificial intelligence services.
Alibaba began selling its Quark AI glasses in China, featuring models powered by the company’s Qwen generative AI, while Li Auto introduced its Livis glasses as an extension of its in-car digital assistant.
Together, they are testing whether deep integration with local ecosystems and language models can offer a credible alternative to Meta’s Ray Ban line, which dominates global shipments.
What are Alibaba and Li Auto bringing to AI glasses?
Alibaba’s Quark AI glasses resemble conventional black framed eyewear but pack cameras, bone conduction microphones, and a translucent display that overlays information in the wearer’s field of view.
The devices run on Alibaba’s Qwen models, enabling functions like real-time translation, object recognition, and context-aware prompts triggered by what the user sees.
The G1 model is priced from about 1,899 yuan, and the higher-end S1 is around 3,799 yuan, which positions them below some mixed reality headsets while still in a premium bracket for mainstream consumers.
Li Auto’s Livis glasses, arriving in early December, are a wearable version of its Lixiang Tongxue assistant powered by the company’s Mind GPT and come with a dedicated mode for children that tailors responses for families.
Did you know?
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How strong is Meta’s lead in AI smart glasses?
Meta has turned Ray Ban-branded smart glasses into one of the few breakout hits in AI wearables, combining familiar fashion with hands-free cameras and built-in Meta AI.
Research firm estimates show Meta captured around 73 percent of global smart glasses shipments in the first half of 2025, and its units are projected to reach roughly 4 million this year.
Even so, analysts describe the category as a small but fast-growing niche, with total AI glasses shipments expected to climb to about 5.1 million units in 2025.
This means Meta’s volumes are large relative to rivals but still modest compared with smartphones, which leaves room for regional players such as Alibaba and Li Auto to carve out local strongholds.
Is China becoming a new hub for AI wearables?
China is emerging as one of the most dynamic markets for AI glasses, supported by aggressive investments from internet, device, and automotive companies.
Forecasts from Omdia suggest global AI glasses shipments will grow more than 150 percent year over year to 5.1 million units in 2025, with China projected to reach about 1.2 million units by 2026, or around 12 percent of the world's total.
Local competition is already intense, with Xiaomi controlling roughly one third of China’s smart glasses segment and Baidu entering with its Xiaodu Pro AI glasses priced at 2,299 yuan.
These devices sit alongside flagship extended reality products such as Apple’s Vision Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy XR, which target more immersive mixed reality rather than lightweight everyday eyewear.
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How do pricing, features, and ecosystems compare?
Alibaba is leaning heavily on its consumer ecosystem by building seamless links from Quark glasses into Alipay, Taobao, and other services, so users can translate signs, identify products, and confirm prices with quick gestures or voice.
The glasses are available through major e-commerce sites and more than six hundred offline stores across dozens of Chinese cities, giving Alibaba an instant distribution network.
Li Auto is using Livis as a bridge between the car and the home, since the glasses act as a portable version of the company’s in-vehicle assistant and can help with schoolwork, creative tasks, or queries when drivers are away from their vehicles.
By comparison, Meta’s Ray Ban devices emphasize hands-free content capture, social sharing, and real-time AI responses linked to its apps, which resonate strongly in Western markets but less so in tightly regulated Chinese platforms.
Can Alibaba and Li Auto turn glasses into the next smartphone moment?
Industry watchers view AI glasses as a potential long-term successor or complement to phones for certain tasks, especially quick queries, translation, and navigation.
For this to happen, devices must become lighter, more stylish, and battery-efficient, while AI assistants grow more context-aware and trustworthy in everyday use.
Alibaba and Li Auto are betting that close integration with services people already use daily, such as payments, shopping, and in-car systems, will make AI glasses feel less like a novelty and more like a natural extension of digital life.
Whether they can loosen Meta’s grip on global share will depend on how quickly they refine hardware, expand outside China, and convince developers to build compelling use cases around their Qwen and Mind GPT platforms.
The next two to three years will reveal if AI glasses remain a specialty gadget or start the same kind of mass adoption curve that smartphones enjoyed, and the race between Meta, Alibaba, Li Auto, and other rivals will shape how people access AI in everyday situations.
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