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Jul 19, 2026 · Archive
Tech

Alibaba's New Qwen Model Claims Second Place, Right Behind Claude

Qwen3.8-Max packs 2.4 trillion parameters, runs live today on Alibaba's Qoder coding platform, with an open-weight release still to come.

  • Preview launched July 19, 2026, days after Moonshot's Kimi K3 debuted with 2.8 trillion parameters.
  • Alibaba's own post calls it 'among the most powerful available today,' ranking second only to Claude.
  • Alibaba just secured approval as a technology partner for Apple Intelligence across Asia.

Why it matters: The only judge ranking this model second to Claude is the lab that built it.

Bloomberg ("Alibaba's Qwen Unveils Preview of Flagship AI Model"), syndicated on Yahoo Finance ↗ · Jul 19, 20267/19/26 · ✓ Checked✓ Check