Alibaba’s ‘Good Tech’: AI for Inclusion, Sustainability & Open Innovation

On October 21, 2021, Alibaba Group Chief Technology Officer Cheng Li delivered the keynote “Technology Innovation and Future Life” at the 2021 Cloud Conference Sustainable Development Forum.

What Is “Good Technology”?

Alibaba defines good technology with three principles: it should benefit everyone, carry responsibility for the future, and be open and shared.

1. Benefit Everyone

Alibaba focuses on people‑first values, extending beyond current customers to vulnerable groups such as the hearing‑impaired. The company is developing AI that can both generate and understand sign language, creating a bridge between hearing and non‑hearing users. A virtual digital assistant demonstrated this capability at the conference.

Alibaba also addresses the needs of the elderly. With 264 million Chinese aged 60+ and over 15 million showing dementia symptoms, AI‑based early screening tools are being co‑developed with Zhejiang University and local health authorities. The AI system achieves near‑human accuracy while reducing screening time to one‑third.

To prevent a digital divide, Alibaba has launched accessibility‑focused versions of its major apps (e.g., Taobao, Amap, Ele.me) to ensure older adults can equally enjoy online shopping, ride‑hailing, and food delivery.

2. Responsibility

Alibaba’s AI Earth team uses AI to process massive remote‑sensing data for environmental monitoring, water management, and agriculture, improving efficiency and accuracy. AI also accelerates climate modeling, enhancing weather forecasts.

In green computing, Alibaba pursues “zero‑carbon cloud” goals, reducing the carbon footprint of its data centers and encouraging low‑carbon practices across the digital economy.

The company established the Artificial Intelligence Governance and Sustainable Development Lab (AAIG) to ensure AI systems are reliable, trustworthy, and aligned with societal needs.

3. Open Sharing

Alibaba promotes openness at three levels: open scientific data in fields like climate and biology; open‑source software that underpins cloud infrastructure; and open digital platforms that enable anyone to innovate. The company’s open‑source strategy targets operating systems, core databases, big‑data processing, and cloud‑native technologies, applying a “three‑in‑one” model that aligns internal, commercial, and community versions.

Alibaba also invests in talent development for rural revitalization, creating technology officer programs for villages and training 200 000 digital professionals over the next five years.

Overall, Cheng Li’s speech outlines Alibaba’s commitment to building technology that is inclusive, responsible, and openly shared, aiming to improve lives and address global challenges.