Chinese technology company Alibaba has significantly expanded its offerings in the field of generative artificial intelligence. Earlier this week, it unveiled new open-source AI models and text-to-video technology, adding to the growing competition in generative AI not only in China but also globally.

Introduction to generative AI and Alibaba's steps

Generative AI, which includes systems capable of creating new content such as text, images or videos, has experienced a huge boom in recent years. This development is being spearheaded by technology companies not only in the US but also in China. Alibaba $BABA-0.2% has decided to make the most of this opportunity and is investing in developing its own product offering in this area.

On Thursday, Alibaba officially unveiled more than 100 new open-source models from the Qwen 2.5 familywhich was first introduced in May this year. The move is evidence of the hybrid approach the company has taken, combining both proprietary (closed) and open-source models. In doing so, the company is looking to create a broader and more flexible range of AI products that can find applications in a variety of industries, such as automotive, gaming and scientific research.

Detailed specifications and benefits of the new models

Alibaba

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Alibaba's new models vary in size and complexity, ranging from 0.5 billion to 72 billion parameters. The parameters here determine the capability and performance of the AI - the more parameters, the greater the capacity of the model to analyse and generate complex content. These models are said to handle a wide range of tasks, from advanced mathematical calculations, to programming, to support for more than 29 languages. Such diverse capabilities make the new models versatile tools that enterprises and developers can apply to their projects.

New text-to-video technology

In addition to expanding its portfolio with open-source models, Alibaba also introduced new text-to-video technologywhich falls under the Tongyi Wanxiang family, aimed at generating visual content. Text-to-video technology is developing rapidly and taking an increasingly important role in the market. With this move, Alibaba joins the game alongside other Chinese and global players such as OpenAI and ByteDance, which recently launched its own Jimeng AI app for Chinese users.

Competition in the field of artificial intelligence

Chinese companies, like their American counterparts, are devoting huge resources and effort to the development of generative AI. While companies such as Baidu and OpenAI rely more on closed models, Alibaba is taking a different path and trying to offer access to open technologies. This can have a major impact on the availability and uptake of AI for the wider public and developer communities.

At the same time, this puts Alibaba in direct competition with global AI players, which may spur further innovation and accelerate the development of the entire field. The release of open-source models gives developers access to advanced tools that they can use in a variety of fields, pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with generative AI.

Alibaba's future in AI

This move indicates that Alibaba has ambitions to become one of the key players in the field of generative AI not only in Asia but also on the global stage. It is clear that the company will continue to invest in developing its technology and expanding its portfolio, which can influence the dynamics of the entire technology market.

The decision to go the hybrid route and offer a combination of open-source and proprietary technologies may allow Alibaba to reach a wider range of customers and developers looking for flexible and powerful AI tools.

Given the growing demand for generative AI, Alibaba can be expected to continue to strengthen its position in this field and expand its influence, becoming an increasingly important player in the global race for AI supremacy.

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Source: CNN, Wall Street Journal.