Alibaba announces the public launch of its AI model

Emmanuel Oyedeji -

China is rapidly narrowing the AI gap with the rest of the world, as a flurry array of AI iterations that rival global offerings become available within the country.

The latest addition to China's AI landscape comes as Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group announced the public launch of its artificial intelligence model, Tongyi Qianwen.

Initially introduced in April, this AI model, with capabilities akin to OpenAI's ChatGPT, was primarily available for enterprise testing. However, Alibaba has now gained regulatory approval to release Tongyi Qianwen to the public signifying the growing readiness of Chinese authorities to embrace and promote AI technology.

Alibaba also plans to unveil a free, open-source version of Tongyi Qianwen in the near future. This decision opens the door for a broader audience, including individuals and organizations, to harness the power of this cutting-edge AI technology for their work.

Notably, prominent companies such as OPPO, Taobao, DingTalk, and Zhejiang University have shown interest in incorporating Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen to enhance their own AI models according to Alibaba's Cloud Intelligence Division.

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TechloyEmmanuel Oyedeji

Interestingly, Alibaba is the fourth Chinese major besides Baidu, SenseTime Group, and Tencent which has made its AI model available to the public in recent weeks. This collective effort by Chinese tech giants underscores the growing emphasis on AI as a competitive focal point in both domestic and global markets.

China's accelerated efforts to support AI development align with the broader global trend of AI innovation and adoption. As AI continues to evolve and shape various industries, China's active participation and expansion in the AI landscape is poised to have a significant impact on the global AI ecosystem.