Alibaba launches Qwen personal AI assistant app project to compete ChatGPT

Alibaba (9988) reportedly began the “Qwen” project to build a personal artificial intelligence assistant app based on its Qwen model, aiming to rival ChatGPT-class products amid fierce global AI competitions, according to mainland media.

Its share once rose over 6 percent before closing at 3 percent higher on the news on Thursday.

The company's leadership described it as "the future of AI battle", hoping that it could lead globally by Qwen’s open-source technologies.

The move marked a shift in its AI strategy from focusing on the enterprise AI market to the consumer side, after its commitment to investing 380 billion yuan (HK$416.1 billion) into building AI infrastructure at the beginning of the year.

Given Qwen's robust performance and high international influence, the leadership said it's the right time for its AI model to compete in the consumer arena.