Alibaba is set to launch the Qwen 3 AI model later this month

Alibaba Group is set to launch an upgraded version of its AI model later this month, according to a Reuters report from April 1, 2025.

The Chinese tech giant is planning to launch Qwen 3, potentially later in April, according to a source familiar with the matter. The news comes amid a competitive surge in the AI sector.

Earlier this year, China’s DeepSeek made waves with a cost-effective model that challenged its Western counterparts. In response, Alibaba quickly released Qwen 2.5-Max in late January.

At the time, Alibaba claimed its model outperformed DeepSeek-V3. The release coincided with the Lunar New Year holiday in China and was seen as a counter to DeepSeek’s success.

DeepSeek has garnered significant acclaim for its R1 and V3 models and is reportedly fast-tracking the launch of its next-generation model before May.

Alibaba has yet to comment on the upcoming release of Qwen 3.