Alibaba considers revenue sharing for Qwen3.8-Max to offset development costs
Alibaba is thinking about a new revenue-sharing system for its next Qwen AI model, Qwen3.8-Max, aiming to help cover the steep costs of building advanced tech.
If this goes through, large businesses using the upcoming Qwen3.8-Max model would need to share a slice of their revenue with Alibaba, though the details are still being worked out.
Right now, Alibaba has largely allowed customers to download and run its models in their own data centers without paying the company.
Alibaba charges when developers use them on its Alibaba Cloud platform.
Alibaba and Moonshot seek open-source funding
This shift could mean more sustainable funding for open-source AI, as Chinese companies like Alibaba and Moonshot try to compete with US giants like OpenAI and Google by offering cheaper alternatives.
Moonshot already asks companies that sell the model as a service and generate more than $20 million in annual sales to enter into a separate commercial agreement with the company.
It's all about finding new ways to support cutting-edge AI without breaking the bank.