Lazada’s youngest executive believes AI and logistics are the company’s biggest strengths compared to rivals like Temu

“Because Lazada is part of Alibaba Group, we can really leverage the group’s best-in-class technology and ecosystem,” Kiatpinyochai, who acquired Lazada Thailand this year, said in an interview on the sidelines of the Hong Kong-Asean summit, where she spoke about the e-commerce landscape in Southeast Asia. “The big advantage is how we leverage technology, especially AI, in the app throughout the consumer’s shopping journey. I think AI has really been a game-changer.”

Kiatpinyochai, Lazada’s youngest executive at 32, highlighted how Lazada is using AI in various areas to better engage consumers, especially the more tech-savvy consumers in Thailand. One of the latest developments is LazzieChat, a chatbot that uses OpenAI’s GPT model instead of Alibaba’s own Tongyi Qianwen models. Generative AI has been a key part of Lazada’s localization efforts, and LazzieChat is now available in Bahasa Indonesia, while Thai and Vietnamese versions are planned.

Competition has been heating up in the global e-commerce sector recently as companies like Temu and Shein leverage relationships with Chinese manufacturers to compete aggressively on price.