(Yicai) April 15 -- Chinese tech giants Meituan, Alibaba Group Holding, and JD.Com have intensified their competition after the healthcare arms of all three launched artificial intelligence service products this year.

Meituan Healthcare released the Xiaotuan Health Assistant yesterday, with the AI assistant to serve the health management needs of families, provide consultation services, and help interpret examination reports.

Meituan Healthcare has identified a strong demand for out-of-hospital daily health management, said Wu Jiani, head of the firm's instant retail business. The growth rate of online pharmacies far exceeds the average, with buyers primarily aged 25 to 40 and their purchases not centered on medications for acute illnesses, but on nursing supplies, chronic disease treatments, and household medicines, Wu noted.

JD Health upgraded its "AI + Medical Devices" strategy on April 9, with plans to integrate its smart system JoyInside into one million devices within a year. The company has launched several smart products since the start of this year, including AI-powered continuous glucose monitors and AI-connected ventilators.

On Jan. 19, Alibaba Health released Hydrogen Ion, an AI assistant tailored for doctors. The tool will further consolidate the firm's professional capabilities in evidence-based support, intelligent search, literature reading, and other areas, according to the company.

The three firms' AI products differ in focus and target users, Zhang Yi, chief executive of iiMedia Research, told Yicai. JD Health focuses on supply chain and drug fulfillment, Alibaba Health emphasizes ecosystem synergy and doctor assistant tools, while Meituan is more focused on penetrating family health and lifestyle scenarios, Zhang said.

Moving forward, the three may see some overlap and competition in areas like AI health assistants and chronic disease management, but they will likely continue to deeply cultivate their respective niches, Zhang stressed.

Behind the rapid entry into the AI in healthcare market by tech companies lies the stagnating traditional e-commerce traffic, according to Zhang. The healthcare sector offers rigid demand characterized by high user stickiness, high average order value, and high repurchase rates, Zhang said, adding that firms must use AI to rebuild entry points and business models, creating next-generation competitive barriers relying on their own scenario-specific data.

Editor: Martin Kadiev