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Alibaba launches Qwen3.8-Max and challenges American AI supremacy

Alibaba launched its largest and most capable AI model to date on Monday, Qwen3.8-Max, claiming it competes with Anthropic Claude Fable 5 and OpenAI. The model with 2.4 trillion parameters is to be made available with open weights next week, and performs on par with or better than Claude Fable 5 on benchmark tests.

WHY IT MATTERS

The launch underscores China's rapidly closing gap with the US in frontier AI and marks a geopolitical shift in AI competition. Alibaba's choice of open weights also challenges Western discussions about safety versus competition in the AI industry.

SOURCES

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