On the evening of October 15, Ant Group’s healthcare AI application, Ant Afu, earned a spot on TIME magazine’s 2026 Best Inventions list—the sole Chinese AI application to make the cut this year. Known as a global benchmark for technological innovation, the list also featured the Chinese AI product DeepSeek in the previous year. TIME commended Ant Afu for enhancing access to professional medical and health services. As of September this year, the app has attracted 150 million users, with nearly 20 million daily health consultations. Furthermore, Alipay’s AI-driven payment innovations signify China’s payment industry’s transition from mobile payments to an era of AI-agent-powered commerce. This recognition highlights China’s leadership in healthcare and payment technology within the global AI landscape.
