Alibaba Group (BABA) has taken the lead in open source AI models. Its Qwen model series is now the world’s most-downloaded and fine-tuned. This change marks a new direction in how companies and developers select AI tools for projects.
Claim 50% Off TipRanks Premium and Invest with Confidence
- Unlock hedge-fund level data and powerful investing tools designed to help you make smarter, sharper decisions
- Stay ahead of the market with the latest news and analysis so your portfolio is always positioned for maximum potential
According to a recent 2025 report on open models, the Qwen 3 model family has been downloaded more than 600 million times. It is now seen as the go-to model for many tasks, especially those that require multiple languages. Qwen has now surpassed Meta Platforms (META) and its Llama model in both total downloads and fine-tuning usage.
Meanwhile, BABA shares dropped 0.78% on Friday, closing at $155.68.
Fast App Growth and Broader Reach
The surge in Qwen’s use is also linked to its new consumer app. Alibaba launched the Qwen app in public beta on November 17. Within the first week, the app had over 10 million downloads. By early December, monthly active users reached 30 million. That shows a 149% jump in less than a month. This pace made it the fastest-growing AI app on record.
Developers are also moving toward Qwen for building new models. Data from OpenRouter, which tracks global AI usage, shows that Chinese open-source models now account for 30% of total usage. That figure was just 1.2% at the end of 2024. At the same time, Meta’s share dropped to 15%. Today, over 40% of new AI models created on major platforms are built using Qwen’s framework.
Enterprise Adoption and Alibaba’s AI Plans
Qwen is also gaining ground in the U.S. market. Airbnb (ABNB) CEO Brian Chesky said the company uses 13 different AI models, but relies heavily on Qwen. He described the model as fast, low-cost, and strong enough for production use. He also noted that some tools from OpenAI were not yet ready for large-scale deployment.
Alibaba is also putting major money behind its AI plans. The company has committed $53 billion over three years toward AI infrastructure. Revenue from AI-related products has shown triple-digit growth for nine straight quarters. Alibaba is adding Qwen to more parts of its business, including e-commerce, local services, and mapping. The aim is to build a platform that helps users beyond simple chat tasks.
This shift in the AI model landscape signals a broader change in the tools companies use for advanced automation. With strong adoption across markets and ongoing investment, Alibaba is placing Qwen at the center of its long-term growth plans.
Is BABA a Good Stock to Buy?
On the Street, Alibaba holds a Strong Buy consensus rating, based on 20 analysts. The average BABA stock price target is $201.33, implying a 29.32% upside from the current price.
