The feature, named “Tanyixia” which means “do a little search,” enables users to scan or upload images to receive details on various subjects. Credit: Jirapong Manustrong/ Shutterstock.

Chinese payments platform Alipay has introduced an AI-powered feature designed to provide information based on user-uploaded images, reported South China Morning Post. 

The feature, named “Tanyixia” that refers to “do a little search,” enables users to scan or upload images to receive details on various subjects including plants, animals, and food, or to translate text such as menus or medication instructions.  

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This addition said to offer over one billion Alipay users to continue using the app. 

The “Tanyixia” function had already been accessed by over 20,000 users, according to Alipay’s data.  

Ant Group, the owner of Alipay, is an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding. 

Alipay’s new image search tool is similar with WeChat’s photo scanner, launched in 2019, which allows users to search for more than just QR codes and barcodes. 

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WeChat, another Chinese payment app, is owned by Tencent Holdings.  

Alipay’s tool stands out due to its generative AI (GenAI) capabilities, which is able to generate captions for photos, stated South China Morning Post. 

GenAI involves algorithms that generate new content across various formats, including audio, images, and text. 

Last month, Alipay introduced “Alipay Tap!”, a tap-and-pay feature, in Guangzhou, China. 

First introduced in July 2024, Alipay claims that its “Tap!” feature is different when compared to other NFC payment methods that rely on card emulation mode.  

The service transforms a smartphone into an NFC tag reader, simplifying the payment process by replacing the traditional QR code scanning with a simple tap.