Alibaba Qwen AI Chief Quits After Launch as App Users Surge to 203 Million
Lin Junyang, head of Alibaba’s Qwen AI division, abruptly resigned two days after launching four Qwen 3.5 Small Models, with two core team members following suit. His departure coincides with the Qwen app’s rapid growth to 203 million monthly active users in February.
1. Leadership Shakeup in Qwen Division
Lin Junyang, head of the Qwen artificial intelligence division, announced his resignation on March 3, 2026, posting a brief farewell on social media. Two additional team members, research scientist Binyuan Hui and core contributor Kaixin Li, also departed, citing Junyang’s exit as the primary reason.
2. Launch of Qwen 3.5 Small Models
Just two days prior to the resignations, Alibaba rolled out four Qwen 3.5 Small Models—0.6B, 2B, 4B and 9B parameters—designed for on-device AI and lightweight agents. The models received public praise for “impressive intelligence density” following an endorsement from Elon Musk.
3. Explosive App User Growth
The Qwen mobile app’s monthly active user count soared from 31.05 million in January to 203 million in February, reflecting an aggressive adoption curve. This surge underscores growing demand for Alibaba’s AI offerings despite internal leadership changes.
4. Uncertainty Over Succession and Market Impact
A successor to Junyang has not been named, leaving Qwen’s strategic direction in question. Alibaba’s stock carries a market capitalization of $323.71 billion, a 52-week high of $192.67 and RSI of 23.57, factors investors will watch amid executive turnover.