Quark Unveils “C Plan”: Launches Chat Assistant, Won’t Compete with Doubao
Quark's Unique “Search–Use–Store” Framework
Original - Opinionated - 2025-10-23 14:05 Beijing
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Launch of “Plan C”
On October 23, NetEase Technology reported that Alibaba’s Quark App officially launched its internally incubated Plan C after several months in stealth mode.
Contrary to speculation about another standalone AI chatbot, the first visible result is a deeply integrated “Conversation Assistant” within Quark.
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Why “Plan C”? — Naming Speculations
Industry observers offered two main guesses:
- C = Chat → suggesting a chat-oriented AI.
- C = Challenge → possibly as a rival to ByteDance’s Doubao, whose name hints at Pac-Man’s “eat pellets” metaphor.
In reality, Quark’s strategy is broader. It integrates Doubao-like conversational ability with its mature search ecosystem, aiming to create a next-generation AI entry point combining search + conversation.
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The True Intent of Plan C
Not a Doubao Copy — Aiming to Rebuild Search
To grasp Plan C’s significance, it helps to revisit Quark’s core product logic.
At an internal tech meeting in June, Quark’s algorithm lead Jiang Guanjun shared:
> “Since 2018, Quark’s endgame goal has been to build a ‘personal assistant’.”
Before large-scale AI adoption, Quark followed a “scenario penetration” approach:
- Start with high-demand fields (learning, health, work).
- Gradually evolve functionality across these domains.
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Quark’s “Search–Use–Store” Product Framework
- Search (Information Acquisition)
- Powered by the AI Super Box, integrating general, educational, and medical vertical search.
- Use (Information Processing)
- Tools for document handling, scanning, AI writing — enabling immediate content processing.
- Store (Information Retention)
- Cloud storage for assets gained during the Search and Use phases.
The new Conversation Assistant becomes the final and most critical link in Quark’s personal assistant blueprint. It connects each stage via conversational interaction, turning separate tools into a cohesive intelligent operating system for end users.
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AI Search — The Second Half
From Tech Race to Problem Solving
Over the past year, nearly every top AI company has rolled out AI browsers.
- Oct 22: OpenAI launched ChatGPT Atlas, embedding ChatGPT into its browser.
Quark’s approach may look different, but it fits the natural evolution of AI capabilities:
- March: AI Super Box — modular search, learning, and health integration.
- June: Gaokao Deep Search & Intelligent Admissions Reports.
- July: Medical large model (Chief-level AI Doctor) + AI glasses.
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Market Shift in 2025
IDC’s June 2025 AI Search Product Evaluation notes:
China’s AI search market is moving from technology arms race → scenario value breakthroughs.
> Yang Wen, IDC Analyst: “The core of 2025’s AI search competition lies in problem-solving ability. Users care less about parameters; they want products that deliver actionable answers within context.”
This means:
- Past: Returning lists of links.
- Now: Delivering direct answers.
- Next: Helping complete tasks.
Quark’s deep presence in education and medical reflects this shift. Internally at Alibaba, Quark is seen as the strategic C-end entry point. With the Conversation Assistant, Quark now has a unified interactive gateway that may increase user stickiness and frequency.
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Beyond Personal Use — Platform Ecosystems
Solutions combining search + dialogue + content handling benefit both individuals and businesses.
For example, the open-source project AiToEarn官网 enables:
- AI-powered content generation
- Cross-platform publishing — Douyin, Kwai, WeChat, Bilibili, Rednote, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, X (Twitter)
- Analytics & AI model rankings (AI模型排名)
Such ecosystems can complement intelligent assistants like Quark, empowering creators to produce, distribute, and monetize globally.
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From “Search” to “Chat”
Quark’s interaction model is shifting — but its mission remains:
To be the user’s intelligent assistant.
In a future where search and conversation merge seamlessly,
the platforms that endure will be those that truly solve problems.
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Closing Note — The Helpfulness Era
As AI interfaces evolve from command-based queries to natural conversations, helpfulness is becoming the ultimate metric of value.
The future will blur the line between asking and chatting, with assistants offering:
- Retrieval
- Reasoning
- Task completion
Platforms like AiToEarn embody this integration — using AI to create, publish, and monetize content across major social and video networks. By connecting generation tools, analytics, and ranking systems, these solutions make it possible for users to act and earn in a truly unified digital environment.
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Would you like me to also condense this article into a short 5-bullet executive briefing so it’s easier for busy readers to digest? That could make it more shareable for internal strategy notes.
