Alibaba has launched Qwen 3.8, its latest open-weight model with 2.4 trillion parameters, positioning it as a strong competitor to Kimi K3. The company claims the model matches frontier models and is second only to Fable 5. A preview of the model is available through Alibaba's Token Plan, Qoder, and QoderWork at 10 percent of the standard price. Open weights are expected to be available 'soon.'
According to Alibaba, Qwen 3.8 should outperform its predecessor, Qwen 3.7-Max, particularly in coding and complex productivity tasks such as full-stack development, data analysis, and office workflows. Developer Shuai Bai noted that this is the team's first multimodal model with more than 1 trillion parameters, capable of processing images, videos, and documents. However, no benchmark results are currently available for the model.
The release of Qwen 3.8 is likely part of Alibaba's strategy to challenge Kimi K3's market position. Moonshot AI, which has promised open weights, currently restricts access through its chat app and API, limiting its ability to convert interest into customers. Qwen's release could disrupt this approach. After reaching $300 million in annual recurring revenue in June, Moonshot plans to go public in as little as six months, according to Bloomberg.
Source: thedecoder
