China's Alibaba signs agreement with automakers to connect cars to homes

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has signed an agreement to supply its artificial intelligence technology to global automakers, assisting Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Volvo car owners in China to control their cars from home.

The voice-activated assistant Tmall Genie, which was developed by Alibaba AI Labs, the company's artificial intelligence arm, will allow home-to-vehicle connectivity, Alibaba said Monday.

"Users will be able to turn on air conditioning, lock car doors, and open the trunk from their home," said Chen Lijuan, head of Alibaba AI Labs.

Tmall Genie could also perform functions like planning a route or controlling music.

The voice assistant will also allow car owners to perform diagnostics on the car's engine, battery, and other components and check the car's location and fuel levels in the future, according to Alibaba.

Chen said Tmall Genie uses voiceprint recognition technology to identify authorized car users.