Last mentioned: Feb 18, 2026
Alibaba Group has launched Qwen 3.5, a massive 397-billion parameter AI model that undercuts US rivals on price by 60%. The release marks a fundamental shift in the Chinese AI sector toward 'agentic' capabilities, positioning Alibaba to lead the transition from conversational chatbots to autonomous digital workers.
Alibaba has released Qwen 3.5, a massive 397-billion parameter model designed to undercut U.S. rivals OpenAI and Google by 60% on cost. The launch signals a strategic pivot toward autonomous AI agents, positioning Alibaba to lead China's competitive landscape against ByteDance and DeepSeek.
Alibaba has unveiled Qwen 3.5, a massive 397-billion parameter model that introduces advanced 'agentic' capabilities while pricing its API 60% lower than Western competitors. This strategic move signals a shift from simple chatbots to autonomous AI agents, intensifying the global price war and technical rivalry between Chinese and US cloud giants.