Alibaba Unveils 397B-Parameter AI Rival as Adani Pledges $100B Data Centers with Google
Alibaba’s Qwen-3.5 AI model, featuring 397 billion parameters and a 1 million-token context window, directly competes with Google DeepMind’s top offerings in open-source arenas. Separately, India’s Adani Group plans to invest $100 billion in renewable-powered AI data centers by 2035 under a strategic partnership with Google and Microsoft.
1. Alibaba Launches Qwen-3.5 to Challenge Google
Alibaba launched Qwen-3.5, a 397 billion parameter model with a 1 million-token context window in its closed-source Plus version and open-source release, aiming to rival Google DeepMind’s leading AI offerings and strengthen China’s open-source position.
2. Open-source Adoption Surges, Pressuring Competitors
Data from Hugging Face indicates Alibaba’s Qwen series surpassed 700 million downloads last year, outpacing U.S. open models in global adoption and signaling a shift toward collaborative development that could compel Google to adjust its proprietary strategy.
3. Adani's $100B Data Center Investment with Google Partnership
India’s Adani Group announced a $100 billion commitment to build renewable-powered, AI-ready data centers by 2035 in joint ventures that include Google and Microsoft, targeting server manufacturing, advanced infrastructure and cloud services to create a $250 billion AI ecosystem.