Alibaba launched its AI model Tongyi Qianwen in April 2023, later expanding the Qwen family to include various sizes and capabilities. By August 2026, the company released Qwen3.8-2.4T-A95B, a model with 2.4 trillion parameters. The project has evolved from open-source releases to a two-tier strategy, where smaller models remain permissive while frontier models are hosted on Alibaba Cloud.
The adoption of Qwen has grown significantly, reaching over 1 billion downloads and more than 400 open-source models by March 2026. The Qwen mobile app recorded 203 million monthly active users in February 2026. Alibaba continues to invest heavily in AI, with CEO Eddie Wu confirming that spending will exceed the $53 billion three-year plan announced previously.
Recent developments include the integration of Qwen into Apple Intelligence for the Chinese market. While the company maintains an open-source presence, it has introduced commercial licensing requirements for providers earning over $50 million annually. Development is ongoing, with Qwen 4 currently in training and future iterations projected to reach 5 to 10 trillion parameters.
