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Ant Group Elevates Health Care to Core Business in Major AI Push

Published: Nov. 8, 2025  2:03 a.m.  GMT+8
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File photo: The booth of Ant Group at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai. Photo: VCG
File photo: The booth of Ant Group at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai. Photo: VCG

Ant Group Co. Ltd. has promoted its healthcare division to a core business segment, marking a major organizational shift that highlights the Chinese fintech giant’s deepening push into AI-driven medical services.

In an internal memo dated Friday, chief executive Han Xinyi said the company had established a new Health Business Group, calling it a strategic pillar alongside existing segments such as Alipay, Digital Payments, Asset Management and Insurance, and Credit. “AI provides a key path to solving the pain points in social health care, and we are fully committed to pursuing this direction,” Han said in the letter.

Zhang Junjie, a longtime executive who joined Ant in 2014 and was among the earliest members of Alipay’s medical team, has been appointed president of the new unit. He will report directly to Han.

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This is an AI-generated English rendering of original reporting or commentary published by Caixin Media. In the event of any discrepancies, the Chinese version shall prevail.
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  • Ant Group elevated its healthcare division to a core segment, forming a new Health Business Group led by Zhang Junjie.
  • The company acquired Haodf.com in 2024, launched the AI healthcare platform AQ, which spun off as an app in June 2025 with over 10 million monthly users.
  • Ant is expanding AI-driven medical services, aligning with government policy and competing with JD Health, Tencent, and Baidu in China’s digital health market.
AI generated, for reference only
Who’s Who
Ant Group Co. Ltd.
Ant Group Co. Ltd. has elevated its healthcare division to a core business segment, creating a new Health Business Group. This move emphasizes their deep commitment to AI-driven medical services, positioning them against competitors like JD Health. The group's CEO, Han Xinyi, notes "AI provides a key path to solving the pain points in social health care." They have notably acquired Haodf.com and launched the AI healthcare platform AQ, which now boasts over 10 million monthly active users.
JD Health
JD Health is mentioned as a competitor against which Ant Group's newly established Health Business Group will be positioned. Along with Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Baidu Inc., JD Health is investing heavily in AI to capture market share in China's growing digital health sector.
Tencent Holdings Ltd.
Tencent Holdings Ltd. is a competitor of Ant Group Co. Ltd. in China's digital health market. Like Ant and others, Tencent is investing heavily in AI to gain market share in this rapidly growing sector.
Baidu Inc.
Baidu Inc. is mentioned as a competitor to Ant Group in the digital health market. Like Tencent Holdings Ltd., it is investing heavily in AI to capture a share of China's fast-growing digital health sector.
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What Happened When
In 2014:
Zhang Junjie joined Ant Group and was among the earliest members of Alipay’s medical team.
In 2024:
Ant Group acquired Haodf.com, an online consultation platform.
In 2024:
Ant Group launched its AI healthcare platform AQ, a proprietary medical AI assistant.
June 2025:
AQ was spun out as a standalone app.
August 2025:
Ant Group teamed up with Peking University Third Hospital to launch a joint AI medical innovation lab.
November 4, 2025:
Five central government agencies in China issued joint guidelines encouraging the development of medical large language models and intelligent agents for clinical use.
November 8, 2025:
Ant Group promoted its healthcare division to a core business segment, establishing the Health Business Group, and appointed Zhang Junjie as its president.
AI generated, for reference only
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