Alibaba Tests New Business Model for Qwen Open-Source AI
Alibaba plans to introduce revenue-sharing terms for commercial users of its next open-weight Qwen AI model.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Alibaba plans revenue-sharing terms for commercial users of its upcoming Qwen open-weight model.
- The arrangement targets larger companies generating revenue by offering the model as a service.
- This mirrors similar licensing strategies adopted by fellow Chinese AI developer Moonshot.
Alibaba is planning to introduce revenue-sharing terms for certain commercial users of its next open-weight AI model under the Qwen series, according to Reuters, citing two people familiar with the company's internal plans.
The proposed arrangement would require larger enterprises that generate revenue by offering the model as a service to establish a formal commercial agreement with Alibaba. Sources noted that the exact revenue-sharing rate has not yet been finalised.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Previously, Alibaba has charged developers to access models hosted via its cloud platform while generally allowing customers to deploy its open-source models within their own data centers without licensing fees. This upcoming arrangement differs from the current Qwen3 open-weight models, which Alibaba releases under the Apache 2.0 license permitting commercial use, modification, and redistribution under specific conditions.
Alibaba's shift highlights the evolving economic realities of open-source AI development. While making model weights publicly downloadable helps drive adoption, training frontier models requires immense capital. Implementing revenue-sharing tiers for high-earning commercial deployment services allows original creators to capture value from downstream commercial success while keeping the core technology accessible.
Alibaba's proposed framework closely resembles the licensing model implemented by Chinese AI developer Moonshot for Kimi K3, an open-weight model released last month, which imposes distinct conditions on companies operating Model-as-a-Service businesses above specific revenue thresholds.
Source: AI News
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