Alibaba Group has launched its latest artificial intelligence model series, Qwen3.5, as competition intensifies in China’s fast-evolving AI sector.
The new Qwen3.5 model introduces enhanced capabilities and reflects a broader shift in the industry from traditional chatbots toward more advanced AI agents capable of handling complex, multi-step tasks.
Alibaba said Qwen3.5 will be available in an open-weight version, allowing developers and enterprises to download, run, fine-tune, and deploy the model on their own infrastructure. The company also released a hosted version, designed for users who prefer cloud-based access without managing deployment themselves.
The rollout comes amid a surge of new AI model launches in China over the past week, underscoring escalating rivalry among domestic technology firms seeking to gain an edge in generative AI and agent-based systems.
Industry observers note that AI agents, systems designed to autonomously plan, reason, and execute tasks, are becoming a central battleground in China’s technology race. Companies are increasingly focusing on building models that go beyond conversational responses to perform real-world actions, integrate with enterprise systems, and automate workflows.
Alibaba’s move signals its intent to remain competitive in a crowded field as Chinese firms accelerate innovation in large language models and enterprise AI applications.
