Finance
Google, Shopee-owner Sea to develop AI tools for e-commerce, gaming
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 19, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 19, 2026
Quick Summary
Google and Sea Ltd will co-develop AI tools for Shopee and Garena, including an agentic shopping prototype. The tie-up aims to speed e-commerce growth and game development amid rising competition in Southeast Asia.
Google and Sea to build AI shopping agents for Shopee, boost Garena
JAKARTA, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google and Southeast Asian technology conglomerate Sea Ltd announced a new tie-up on Thursday that will develop artificial intelligence tools for Sea's e-commerce and gaming products.
Under the newly-signed strategic partnership, the two companies will jointly "explore the building of an AI agentic shopping prototype" on Sea's e-commerce platform Shopee, they said in a statement.
The move is part of the efforts by global tech firms to monetise their AI models by promoting capabilities beyond simply answering questions and executing a much wider range of tasks from shopping on different apps to managing complex workflows.
China's Alibaba, whose Lazada e-commerce platform competes with Shopee in Southeast Asia, released a new AI model earlier this week that it described as being built "for the agentic AI era."
Shopee was the most dominant e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia with a 52% market share in 2024, according to a report by consultancy Momentum Works.
Google and Sea's gaming unit Garena will also use AI solutions to "transform" the productivity of game development, both companies said.
The partnerships follow a 2024 tie-up between Shopee and Alphabet's YouTube in the Southeast Asian e-commerce market.
(Reporting by Stanley Widianto; Editing by Miyoung Kim)
Key Takeaways
- •Alphabet’s Google and Sea Ltd formed a strategic AI partnership focused on e-commerce and gaming.
- •Shopee will pilot an agentic shopping prototype to enhance buying journeys and conversions.
- •Garena will apply Google’s AI solutions to improve game development productivity and workflows.
- •Shopee led Southeast Asia’s platform e-commerce with 52% market share in 2024, per Momentum Works.
- •Move follows a 2024 Shopee–YouTube tie-up and intensifies competition with Alibaba’s Lazada.
Frequently Asked Questions about Google, Shopee-owner Sea to develop AI tools for e-commerce, gaming
1What is the main topic?
Google and Sea Ltd announced a strategic partnership to develop AI tools for Shopee’s e-commerce platform and for Garena’s game development, including an agentic shopping prototype.
2How does this affect competition in Southeast Asia?
The partnership strengthens Shopee’s lead against rivals like Alibaba’s Lazada and TikTok Shop by adding agentic shopping and AI-driven efficiencies across the commerce and gaming stack.
3Why is the partnership significant for Shopee and Garena?
Shopee can test autonomous shopping agents to improve conversion and monetization, while Garena can use AI to streamline production, potentially accelerating content updates and reducing development costs.
