The companies’ efforts follow the announcement of OpenAI’s latest LLMs, including the o1 generative pre-trained transformer model backed by Microsoft. The model is intended to tackle difficult tasks, paving the way for advances in science, coding, and mathematics.

During the conference, Kunal Zhilin, founder of Moonshot AI, underlined the importance of the o1 model, adding that it has the potential to reshape various industries and create new opportunities for AI startups.

Zhilin stated that reinforcement learning and scalability might be pivotal for AI development. He spoke of the scaling law, which states that larger models with more training data perform better.

“This approach pushes the ceiling of AI capabilities,” Zhilin said, adding that OpenAI o1 has the potential to disrupt sectors and generate new opportunities for startups.

OpenAI has also stressed the model’s ability to solve complex problems, which it says operate in a manner similar to human thinking. By refining its strategies and learning from mistakes, the model improves its problem-solving capabilities.

Zhilin said companies with enough computing power will be able to innovate not only in algorithms, but also in foundational AI models. He sees this as pivotal, as AI engineers rely increasingly on reinforcement learning to generate new data after exhausting available organic data sources.

StepFun CEO Jiang Daxin concurred with Zhilin but stated that computational power remains a big challenge for many start-ups, particularly due to US trade restrictions that hinder Chinese enterprises’ access to advanced semiconductors.

“The computational requirements are still substantial,” Daxin stated.

An insider at Baichuan AI has said that only a small group of Chinese AI start-ups — including Moonshot AI, Baichuan AI, Zhipu AI, and MiniMax — are in a position to make large-scale investments in reinforcement learning. These companies — collectively referred to as the “AI tigers” — are involved heavily in LLM development, pushing the next generation of AI.

More from the Apsara Conference

Also at the conference, Alibaba Cloud made several announcements, including the release of its Qwen 2.5 model family, which features advances in coding and mathematics. The models range from 0.5 billion to 72 billion parameters and support approximately 29 languages, including Chinese, English, French, and Spanish.

Specialised models such as Qwen2.5-Coder and Qwen2.5-Math have already gained some traction, with over 40 million downloads on platforms Hugging Face and ModelScope.

Alibaba Cloud added to its product portfolio, delivering a text-to-video model in its picture generator, Tongyi Wanxiang. The model can create videos in realistic and animated styles, with possible uses in advertising and filmmaking.

Alibaba Cloud unveiled Qwen 2-VL, the latest version of its vision language model. It handles videos longer than 20 minutes, supports video-based question-answering, and is optimised for mobile devices and robotics.

For more information on the conference, click here.

(Photo by: @Guy_AI_Wise via X)

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This so-called “reasoning” AI model is being compared to OpenAI o1, and it’s one of the few you can download under a permissive license. For developers and researchers eager to experiment, that’s a significant bonus.

Built by Alibaba’s Qwen team, QwQ-32B-Preview is anything but lightweight. It packs 32.5 billion parameters—think of these as the building blocks of its problem-solving abilities—and can handle prompts of up to 32,000 words; longer than some novels! Tests show it outperforms OpenAI o1-preview and o1-mini on benchmarks like AIME and MATH. For context, AIME uses other AI models to assess performance, while MATH is a collection of word problems.

But the model isn’t just about maths problems or logic puzzles. What sets it apart is how it approaches tasks. QwQ-32B-Preview plans ahead, fact-checks its work, and avoids common AI mistakes. Of course, it’s not flawless—Alibaba acknowledges issues like language switching, occasional loops, and difficulties with “common sense” reasoning. Even so, it represents a step toward more intelligent AI systems.

QwQ-32B-Preview is accessible: You can run or download it via Hugging Face. However, like other Chinese-developed AI, it operates within regulatory boundaries. That means it carefully avoids politically sensitive topics to comply with China’s rules, ensuring it aligns with “core socialist values.”

Alibaba isn’t alone in this space. Meta’s Llama 3.1 is another open-source option, though it takes a different approach by focusing on generative AI rather than reasoning. While both models are innovative, QwQ-32B-Preview specialises in problem-solving with what the company describes as a human-like approach, putting it in the reasoning category.

The competition in AI inside China is intensifying. Companies such as DeepSeek, Shanghai AI Lab, and Kunlun Tech have entered the reasoning AI race, releasing their models at pace. For example, DeepSeek’s r1 claims to outperform OpenAI’s o1 on half of its benchmark tests, particularly in maths and programming. Shanghai AI Lab’s InternThinker takes a structured approach to problem-solving, incorporating steps such as understanding queries, recalling knowledge, planning solutions, and reflecting on its answers.

This surge of activity highlights how quickly Chinese companies are catching up with US tech giants. Xu Liang, an AI entrepreneur from Hangzhou, summed it up: “OpenAI gave the direction; with research, Chinese tech firms are making progress.” The release of QwQ-32B-Preview and its competitors shows how much ground they’re covering.

But this goes beyond just catching up. Reasoning AI marks a change in how models are designed and used. Unlike older AI systems that relied on brute force to generate answers, reasoning models like QwQ-32B-Preview aim to mimic human problem-solving. The approach not only makes them more effective for complex tasks but also expands their potential use cases, like tackling advanced maths or providing detailed financial advice.

Whether it’s solving puzzles, reasoning through intricate problems, or expanding what open-source AI can achieve, one thing is clear: the evolution of AI is accelerating. Buckle up—this is only the beginning.

(Photo by Unsplash)

See also: Alibaba Cloud overhauls AI partner initiative

Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including Intelligent Automation Conference, BlockX, Digital Transformation Week, and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo.

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The Chinese tech giant’s cloud division has outlined several new initiatives, including an AI partner accelerator programme, enhanced incentives, and a refreshed global strategy for service partners, as it seeks to strengthen its position in the market.

Selina Yuan, President of International Business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, said: “At Alibaba Cloud, we believe that collaboration is the key to unlocking innovation and driving growth. Our global partners are not just participants, they are the architects of a new digital landscape in the AI era.

The company’s new AI Alliance Accelerator Programme aims to establish partnerships with 50 AI technology providers and 50 channel partners by 2025. Selected technology partners will receive enhanced technical support, expanded distribution channels, and dedicated AI consulting services, while channel partners will benefit from increased financial incentives for AI-related initiatives.

Alibaba Cloud has also introduced its Revitalised Service Partner Programme, designed to upskill existing partners and cultivate new ones through AI training and empowerment. The programme includes the joint development of Managed Large Language Model Services with service partners, leveraging the company’s generative AI capabilities.

The cloud provider has also committed to extending strategic partnerships with 18 service partners – including prominent names such as Deloitte, Accenture, and Cognizant Worldwide – from its existing pool of 50 global standard service partners.

In various regional developments, Alibaba Cloud has established strategic partnerships across Asia:

• Indonesia: The company has partnered with Telkom Indonesia to deliver AI-supported cloud solutions and develop digital talent.
• Japan: Information security firm Securai will localise Alibaba Cloud’s Zstack service for the Japanese market.
• Thailand: A memorandum of understanding with Yell Group aims to address growing demand for generative AI in the creative media industry.

The company, which currently maintains partnerships with approximately 12,000 organisations worldwide – including industry leaders such as Salesforce, Fortinet, IBM, and Neo4j – has introduced a Synergistic Incentive Programme to foster collaboration between its global technology and channel partners.

“Today, with our revamped global partner ecosystem, we are committed to supporting our global partners to jointly reap the benefits of the AI era and meet the diverse business demands of global customers,” Yuan concludes.

(Photo by Hannah Busing)

See also: Alibaba Marco-o1: Advancing LLM reasoning capabilities

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The cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group has also unveiled a revamped full-stack infrastructure designed to meet the surging demand for robust AI computing. This new infrastructure encompasses innovative cloud products and services that enhance computing, networking, and data centre architecture, all aimed at supporting the development and wide-ranging applications of AI models.

Eddie Wu, Chairman and CEO of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, said: “Alibaba Cloud is investing, with unprecedented intensity, in the research and development of AI technology and the building of its global infrastructure. We aim to establish an AI infrastructure of the future to serve our global customers and unlock their business potential.”

The newly-released Qwen 2.5 models range from 0.5 to 72 billion parameters in size and boast enhanced knowledge and stronger capabilities in maths and coding. Supporting over 29 languages, these models cater to a wide array of AI applications both at the edge and in the cloud across various sectors, from automotive and gaming to scientific research.

Alibaba Cloud’s open-source AI models gain traction

Since its debut in April 2023, the Qwen model series has garnered significant traction, surpassing 40 million downloads across platforms such as Hugging Face and ModelScope. These models have also inspired the creation of over 50,000 derivative models on Hugging Face alone.

Jingren Zhou, CTO of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, commented: “This initiative is set to empower developers and corporations of all sizes, enhancing their ability to leverage AI technologies and further stimulating the growth of the open-source community.”

In addition to the open-source models, Alibaba Cloud announced an upgrade to its proprietary flagship model, Qwen-Max. The enhanced version reportedly demonstrates performance on par with other state-of-the-art models in areas such as language comprehension, reasoning, mathematics, and coding.

The company has also expanded its multimodal capabilities with a new text-to-video model as part of its Tongyi Wanxiang large model family. This model can generate high-quality videos in various visual styles, from realistic scenes to 3D animation, based on Chinese and English text instructions.

Furthermore, Alibaba Cloud introduced Qwen2-VL, an updated vision language model capable of comprehending videos lasting over 20 minutes and supporting video-based question-answering. The company also launched an AI Developer, a Qwen-powered AI assistant designed to support programmers in automating tasks such as requirement analysis, code programming, and bug identification and fixing.

To support these AI advancements, Alibaba Cloud has announced several infrastructure upgrades, including:

• CUBE DC 5.0, a next-generation data centre architecture that increases energy and operational efficiency.
• Alibaba Cloud Open Lake, a solution to maximise data utility for generative AI applications.
• PAI AI Scheduler, a proprietary cloud-native scheduling engine for enhanced computing resource management.
• DMS: OneMeta+OneOps, a platform for unified management of metadata across multiple cloud environments.
• 9th Generation Enterprise Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instance, offering improved performance for various applications.

These updates from Alibaba Cloud – including the release of over 100 open-source models – aim to provide comprehensive support for customers and partners to maximise the benefits of the latest technology in building more efficient, sustainable, and inclusive AI applications.

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See also: Tech industry giants urge EU to streamline AI regulations

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These new models – built upon the existing Qwen2 foundation – demonstrate remarkable proficiency in solving arithmetic and mathematical challenges, and outperform former industry leaders.

The Qwen team crafted Qwen2-Math using a vast and diverse Mathematics-specific Corpus. This corpus comprises a rich tapestry of high-quality resources, including web texts, books, code, exam questions, and synthetic data generated by Qwen2 itself.

Rigorous evaluation on both English and Chinese mathematical benchmarks – including GSM8K, Math, MMLU-STEM, CMATH, and GaoKao Math – revealed the exceptional capabilities of Qwen2-Math. Notably, the flagship model, Qwen2-Math-72B-Instruct, surpassed the performance of proprietary models such as GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 in various mathematical tasks.

“Qwen2-Math-Instruct achieves the best performance among models of the same size, with RM@8 outperforming Maj@8, particularly in the 1.5B and 7B models,” the Qwen team noted.

This superior performance is attributed to the effective implementation of a math-specific reward model during the development process.

Further showcasing its prowess, Qwen2-Math demonstrated impressive results in challenging mathematical competitions like the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) 2024 and the American Mathematics Contest (AMC) 2023.

To ensure the model’s integrity and prevent contamination, the Qwen team implemented robust decontamination methods during both the pre-training and post-training phases. This rigorous approach involved removing duplicate samples and identifying overlaps with test sets to maintain the model’s accuracy and reliability.

Looking ahead, the Qwen team plans to expand Qwen2-Math’s capabilities beyond English, with bilingual and multilingual models in the pipeline.  This commitment to inclusivity aims to make advanced mathematical problem-solving accessible to a global audience.

“We will continue to enhance our models’ ability to solve complex and challenging mathematical problems,” affirmed the Qwen team.

You can find the Qwen2 models on Hugging Face here.

See also: Paige and Microsoft unveil next-gen AI models for cancer diagnosis

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ModelScope, which embodies Alibaba Cloud’s concept of “Model-as-a-Service,” transforms AI models into readily available and deployable services. Since its launch in mainland China in 2022, the platform has grown to become the country’s largest AI model community, boasting over five million developer users.

With this international expansion, developers around the globe will now have access to more than 5,000 advanced AI models. The platform also welcomes user-contributed models, fostering a collaborative ecosystem for AI development.

The English version of ModelScope provides a comprehensive suite of tools and resources to support developers in bringing their AI projects to fruition. This includes access to over 1,500 high-quality Chinese-language datasets and an extensive range of toolkits for data processing. Moreover, the platform offers various modules that allow developers to customise model inference, training, and evaluation with minimal coding requirements.

Alibaba Cloud announced the English version of ModelScope during the 2024 Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) Conference in Seattle. This annual event brings together academics, researchers, and business leaders for a five-day exploration of cutting-edge developments in AI and machine learning through workshops, panels, and keynotes.

The company’s presence at CVPR was further bolstered by the acceptance of more than 30 papers from Alibaba Group, with six selected as oral and highlighted papers. This achievement underscores Alibaba’s commitment to advancing the field of AI research and development.

Conference attendees also had the opportunity to experience firsthand the capabilities of Alibaba’s proprietary Qwen model series at the company’s booth. The demonstration showcased the model’s impressive image and video generation capabilities, providing a glimpse into the potential applications of Alibaba’s AI technologies.

The launch of the English version of ModelScope represents a significant milestone in Alibaba Cloud’s strategy to expand its AI offerings globally.

As businesses and developers worldwide increasingly seek to harness the power of AI, platforms like ModelScope are set to play a crucial role in democratising access to advanced AI capabilities. With its extensive collection of models, datasets, and development tools, Alibaba Cloud’s ModelScope will help to accelerate AI innovation and adoption on a global scale.

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See also: SoftBank chief: Forget AGI, ASI will be here within 10 years

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Alibaba’s ChatGPT rival is called Tongyi Qianwen and will be integrated across the company’s various businesses in the “near future,” but it is yet to give a rollout timeline.

“We are at a technological watershed moment driven by generative AI and cloud computing, and businesses across all sectors have started to embrace intelligence transformation to stay ahead of the game,” said Daniel Zhang, Chairman and CEO of Alibaba Group and CEO of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.

“As a leading global cloud computing service provider, Alibaba Cloud is committed to making computing and AI services more accessible and inclusive for enterprises and developers, enabling them to uncover more insights, explore new business models for growth, and create more cutting-edge products and services for society.”

Tongyi Qianwen roughly translates to “seeking an answer by asking a thousand questions” and will support both English and Chinese languages.

Alibaba has stated that the chatbot will first be added to DingTalk, its workplace messaging app. Tongyi Qianwen will be able to perform several tasks at launch, including taking notes in meetings, writing emails, and drafting business proposals.

The chatbot will be integrated into Tmall Genie, similar to Amazon’s line of Echo smart speakers. That integration will give Alibaba an advantage over its Western counterparts such as Google which are yet to integrate their own equivalents into their smart speakers. 

Tongyi Qianwen is powered by an LLM that reportedly consists of ten trillion parameters, which is significantly more than GPT-4 (estimated to consist of around one trillion parameters.)

The model will be used as the foundation for a new service by Alibaba that will see the company build custom LLMs for customers. The LLMs will use “customers’ proprietary intelligence and industrial know-how” to build AI-infused apps without developing a model from scratch. A beta version of a Tongyi Qianwen API is already available for Chinese developers.

“Generative AI powered by large language models is ushering in an unprecedented new phase. In this latest AI era, we can create additional value for our customers and broader communities through our resilient public cloud infrastructure and proven AI capabilities,” said Jingren Zhou, CTO of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.

“We are witnessing a new paradigm of AI development where cloud and AI models play an essential role. By making this paradigm more inclusive, we hope to facilitate businesses from all industries with their intelligence transformation and, ultimately, help boost their business productivity and expand their expertise and capabilities while unlocking more exciting opportunities through innovations.”

Last month, a group of high-profile figures in the technology industry called for the suspension of training powerful AI systems. Twitter CEO Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak were among those who signed an open letter warning of potential risks and said the race to develop AI systems is out of control.

A report by investment bank Goldman Sachs estimated that AI could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs. An AI think tank, meanwhile, called GPT-4 a risk to public safety.

Alibaba’s announcements were made at its Cloud Summit, which also featured the debut of three-month trials for its Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and PolarDB services. The company is offering a 50 percent discount for its storage-as-a-service offering if users reserve capacity in a specific region for a year.

The company has not yet revealed the cost of using Tongyi Qianwen.

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