Alibaba unveils Qwen-3.5, sharpening global race to spread AI models

Alibaba Cloud has unveiled its next-generation open artificial intelligence model, Qwen-3.5, in a move set to have major implications for the global AI race between China and the US. The much-anticipated release, timed on the eve of the Lunar New Year, capped a frenetic week in which nearly every major Chinese AI developer rolled out new flagship models – with the notable exception of DeepSeek, despite media speculation that a V4 system would debut before the holiday. Qwen-3.5 is Alibaba Cloud’s...

By Vincent Chow