Alibaba Forms AI Task Force After Qwen Leaders Quit, Qwen Users Hit 203 Million
Alibaba has lost several senior executives leading its Qwen AI model, including technical lead Lin Junyang, prompting CEO Eddie Wu to form a Foundation Model Task Force and recruit former DeepMind scientist Zhou Hao. Qwen monthly active users soared from 31 million in January to 203 million in February ahead of the March 19 earnings report.
1. Executive Departures Shake Up AI Division
Lin Junyang, technical lead of the Qwen AI model, resigned alongside several senior AI executives, raising concerns about leadership stability in Alibaba’s AI division. Their exits occur just weeks before the company reports fiscal third-quarter results on March 19.
2. Foundation Model Task Force Formed
CEO Eddie Wu has established a Foundation Model Task Force, headed by the Group CTO and Cloud CTO, to demonstrate renewed executive oversight of AI initiatives. Alibaba also hired former Google DeepMind scientist Zhou Hao to lead advanced research and enhance its AI modeling capabilities.
3. Qwen Adoption Surge and Earnings Outlook
Monthly active users of the Qwen mobile app jumped from 31 million in January to 203 million in February, signaling rapid market acceptance. Investors will scrutinize the March 19 earnings release for signs that AI and cloud investments are starting to drive revenue growth.