Alibaba to charge big users of its open-source AI model
Chinese tech giant Alibaba plans to charge major users of its next open-source AI model, Qwen3.8-Max, for a share of revenue they make from using the model. This move mirrors a similar provision in Moonshot's open-source model, Kimi K3. Alibaba's decision reflects a shift in approach, as it previously allowed open-source offerings to be used in customers' own data centers without payment.
Key points
- Alibaba plans to charge major users of its next open-source AI model, Qwen3.8-Max, for a share of revenue they make from using the model.
- The move mirrors a similar provision in Moonshot's open-source model, Kimi K3, which requires commercial agreements for users generating over $20 million in annual sales.
- Alibaba has previously allowed open-source offerings to be used in customers' own data centers without payment.
- The decision reflects a shift in approach by Chinese AI firms, which have released open-source models nearly as capable as those from OpenAI and Anthropic.
Alibaba to charge big users of its open-source AI model
Chinese tech giant Alibaba plans to charge major users of its next open-source AI model, Qwen3.8-Max, for a share of revenue they make from using the model. This move mirrors a similar provision in Moonshot's open-source model, Kimi K3, which requires commercial agreements for users generating over $20 million in annual sales.
Alibaba's decision reflects a shift in approach, as it previously allowed open-source offerings to be used in customers' own data centers without payment. The move is seen as a sign of the growing commercialization of open-source AI models.
Chinese AI firms, which have shocked markets by releasing open-source models nearly as capable as those from OpenAI and Anthropic, are converging on a new business model. By charging major users for a share of revenue, Alibaba aims to generate more income from its open-source offerings.
Sources
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