Alibaba releases flagship AI model with 2.4 trillion parameters, rivaling Anthropic’s Fable
Summary
Alibaba unveiled its flagship Qwen3.8-Max-Preview model on August 3, 2026, featuring 2.4 trillion parameters. The company positioned the release as a live preview that trails only Anthropic's Claude Fable 5 in performance. Alibaba shares surged as much as 5.4% in Hong Kong following the announcement. The model is available on coding platforms like Token Plan, with open weights promised for future release. This development underscores Alibaba's rapid iteration from its 2023 Qwen series to a top-tier competitor in the global AI landscape.
Key points
- The Qwen3.8-Max-Preview model contains 2.4 trillion parameters.
- Alibaba claims the model trails only Anthropic's Claude Fable 5 in overall performance.
- Alibaba shares rose 5.4% in Hong Kong after the announcement.
- The model is available on coding platforms including Token Plan.
- Open weights will be released to allow other developers to build on the model.
Timeline
Alibaba launches Qwen3.8-Max-Preview live preview
“Alibaba has made the model available on its coding platforms, including Token Plan, and committed to releasing the open weights soon.”
Background
The Qwen series was first launched by Alibaba in 2023.
Why it matters
The model's scale and performance suggest US export controls on advanced semiconductors have been less effective than hoped.