Alibaba Cloud Launches Global AI Short Film Contest With Picsart as Stock Lags
Alibaba Cloud has teamed up with editing platform Picsart to launch the Happy Horse Awards, a global contest for AI-generated short films powered by the company’s proprietary Happy Horse model. The competition is open to creators outside mainland China and marks a strategic move to get Alibaba’s generative AI tools into the hands of artists and storytellers, rather than just corporate clients.
The Happy Horse Awards reflect a broader push by Alibaba to demonstrate real-world use cases for its cloud and AI products at a time when the stock has struggled. Shares of Alibaba Group Holding (NYSE:BABA) closed at $129.47 — down roughly 17% so far this year, though still up 10.1% over the past 12 months. For investors, the timing of the contest signals that Alibaba is actively looking to expand its AI ecosystem beyond B2B applications and into consumer-facing creative markets.
Picsart, a popular photo and video editing platform with hundreds of millions of monthly active users, will help distribute the contest and provide entry tools. Eligible participants can use Alibaba’s Happy Horse model to generate short films, and winning entries will be showcased globally. Analysts view such collaborations as a potential catalyst for Alibaba Cloud to differentiate itself in the increasingly crowded AI model market.
“This contest shows how Alibaba can package its AI into scalable, community-driven products,” said a technology analyst at a major research firm. “If these types of partnerships succeed, they could change how investors value Alibaba’s mix of commerce, cloud and AI businesses.”
Yet the stock’s year-to-date decline suggests the market is still weighing the company’s growth outlook against regulatory and competitive pressures. For investors tracking the company’s turnaround, the Happy Horse Awards offers a tangible example of Alibaba’s efforts to monetize its AI investments outside of traditional e-commerce.
Simply Wall St’s analysis highlights that Alibaba trades at a discount to its estimated fair value based on historical earnings and analyst forecasts. The company’s forward price-to-earnings ratio remains below that of many U.S. big-cap tech peers, reinforcing the narrative that the stock may be undervalued relative to its AI potential. However, investors should consider both risks and opportunities before making any portfolio decisions.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always perform your own research or consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions. Simply Wall St holds no position in any of the stocks mentioned.