Alibaba Set to Launch Qwen 3 AI Model Amid Intensifying Competition with DeepSeek
Alibaba Group is gearing up to roll out Qwen 3, the next generation of its marquee artificial intelligence model, as early as this month, as reported by Bloomberg citing a source familiar with the matter. While the current launch timeline is in April, the timing is subject to change according to the report.
Rising Pressure from DeepSeek
The anticipated release comes as Chinese AI companies face growing competitive pressure, particularly from DeepSeek, which made global headlines earlier this year with the debut of its cost-efficient model. DeepSeek’s success has reshaped the AI landscape, prompting swift responses from rivals.
Alibaba reacted swiftly to DeepSeek’s rise by releasing Qwen 2.5-Max in late January, just days after DeepSeek-V3 gained international recognition. Alibaba claimed the model outperformed DeepSeek’s offering. Notably, the Qwen 2.5-Max launch occurred on the first day of the Lunar New Year, a public holiday in China, underscoring the urgency and competitive tension in the market.
Also read: OpenAI to Launch First Open-Weight Language Model Since GPT-2
Race for AI Supremacy in China and Beyond
AI firms in China have been rapidly rolling out upgrades and new capabilities in a bid to keep pace with DeepSeek and global competitors. According to a February Reuters report, DeepSeek is already accelerating the development of its R1 successor, aiming for a launch before May. Both R1 and V3 have received strong praise from the tech community in Silicon Valley.
With the release of Qwen 3, Alibaba aims to reassert its standing in the fast-moving AI race, both within China and internationally. The upgraded model is expected to bring performance improvements and advanced capabilities to maintain competitiveness in an increasingly crowded field.
