Alibaba Group Holding Ltd launched its Qwen3.5 artificial intelligence model on February 16, 2026. The new model focuses on agentic AI capabilities to independently execute complex tasks. This release positions the company to compete in the next phase of global AI development.
Alibaba claims Qwen3.5 is 60% cheaper to deploy than its predecessor. The model processes large workloads eight times faster than previous versions. Internal benchmark tests indicate that Qwen3.5 outperforms rival U.S. models, specifically GPT-5.2 and Gemini 3 Pro.
The launch follows significant performance and cost-efficiency improvements over previous iterations. Alibaba enters a tightening domestic market as Chinese rivals ByteDance and DeepSeek also release or prepare new AI models.