Alibaba's Qwen, a powerful open-weight large language model, is rapidly gaining traction. Downloads of open Chinese models now surpass those of other models on Hugging Face. This shift signals a potential change in the AI landscape.

Qwen, known as Tongyi Qianwen in Chinese, isn't necessarily the most advanced AI. Models like OpenAI's GPT-5 and Google's Gemini 3 often outperform it in benchmarks. Meta's Llama also predates it as a leading open-weight model, released in 2023. However, Qwen and other Chinese models from companies like DeepSeek and MiniMax are popular due to their accessibility and customizability.

The rise of Qwen has significant implications. Its open-weight nature allows for broader experimentation and innovation. Rokid, a smart glasses startup in Hangzhou, China, already uses Qwen to translate languages in real-time.

Open-weight models like Qwen democratize AI development. They enable smaller companies and researchers to build upon existing technology. This contrasts with closed-source models, which are often proprietary and less accessible.

The future will likely see increased competition and collaboration in the open-source AI space. Expect further advancements and wider adoption of models like Qwen.