China is beating the US in consumer AI adoption, thanks to super apps: Morgan Stanley

China is outpacing the United States in consumer adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, according to Morgan Stanley. The investment bank's recent report revealed that 80% of Chinese respondents utilized AI for personal purposes at least once a week, whereas only 54% of Americans showed similar usage patterns. This sharp difference in AI consumption can be attributed to China's utilization of "super apps" – platforms that seamlessly integrate AI functionalities into everyday applications like shopping, search, messaging, and entertainment.

Morgan Stanley's survey also highlighted that China's rapid growth in generative AI users, which surged from approximately 249 million in December 2024 to 602 million in December 2025, outpaced the growth trajectory seen in mobile internet adoption over the same period. The advantage lies in China's ability to disseminate AI services through locally adapted platforms, rather than relying on the technical prowess of frontier models.

Chinese AI services, such as text, image, video, and code generation, are embedded directly within popular apps, enabling users to access advanced AI capabilities without the need to download separate software. ByteDance's Doubao, a TikTok counterpart from China, has emerged as the leading AI app in the region, boasting around 399 million monthly active users (MAU) as of July, according to QuestMobile data referenced in Morgan Stanley's report.

Alibaba's Qwen, an AI agent designed to perform real-world tasks by integrating with Alibaba's ecosystem of shopping, travel booking, navigation, and payment services, follows closely with 161 million MAUs.

Interestingly, the report noted the emergence of a "multi-homing" trend among Chinese users, with 64% of respondents utilizing five or more AI tools. This behavior prevents a single app from dominating the market, allowing existing platforms to maintain their dominance by controlling user demand, proprietary data, and transactions.

Consequently, established companies like Tencent, with its WeChat ecosystem of social graphs, mini-programs, and payment services, are well-positioned to benefit from the AI revolution, as opposed to standalone AI apps.

Alibaba, too, remains a top stock pick for Morgan Stanley due to its full-stack capabilities, particularly in e-commerce features like Taobao's Qwen shopping assistant. However, analysts remain cautious about investing solely in the standalone Qwen app. Similarly, Meituan and online travel agencies have also positioned themselves advantageously due to their high conversion efficiency and low incremental acquisition costs.

Alibaba, the owner of the South China Morning Post, continues to lead the charge in AI adoption within China.