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euronews
Alibaba's new AI claims to match Claude, upping the US-China AI race
Alibaba has launched its AI model, Qwen3.8-Max, asserting it can perform tasks unsupervised for days, a capability previously attributed primarily to competitors like Anthropic. This launch signifies a critical moment in the US-China AI rivalry, as both countries seek advancements in AI technology. With claims of superior performance in complex tasks, Alibaba positions itself as a formidable player in the global AI market, inviting validation and scrutiny of its results by the wider community.
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Published 3 Aug 2026, 09:05 UTC2 min read
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Summary
TL;DR
- Qwen3.8-Max operates unsupervised for up to 125 hours.
- Model achieved notable performance in a contest against human teams.
- Claims of improved capabilities over coding and research tasks.
- The US-China AI competition is intensifying with this announcement.
- Alibaba has made Qwen's weights available, promoting transparency.
Interesting facts
- Alibaba's AI claims reflect significant advancements in Chinese AI technology.
- The competitive landscape is shifting with both US and Chinese companies making similar technological claims.
- Independent verification of performance claims remains unconfirmed.