Alibaba advocacy for open-source AI

Alibaba Group chairman Joe Tsai has promoted the adoption of open-source artificial intelligence as a means to achieve technological independence and inclusivity.

During a technology event in Italy, Tsai argued that open-source AI offers Europe a viable path toward digital sovereignty. He suggested that European manufacturers should utilize their industrial data to refine open-source models to avoid reliance on foreign closed-source APIs. This discussion coincided with remarks from former Italian minister Vittorio Colao, who noted Europe’s limited AI computing capacity and the need for increased investment to remain competitive.

At the World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit in China, Tsai expanded on this strategy, stating that open models are essential for involving researchers, small businesses, and developing nations in the AI ecosystem. Alibaba highlighted its Qwen model family, which has reached over 4 billion downloads and enabled the creation of hundreds of thousands of derivative models, including a project in Uganda supporting 68 African languages. This push aligns with Chinese efforts to strengthen technological autonomy, as Premier Li Qiang called for international dialogue and cautioned against using national security to divide technological ecosystems.