Alibaba unveils Qwen 3, a family of ‘hybrid’ AI reasoning models

Tech Crunch - Apr 28th, 2025

Chinese technology giant Alibaba has unveiled Qwen 3, a new family of AI models that the company asserts matches or even surpasses top models from industry leaders Google and OpenAI. Available under an open license on platforms like Hugging Face and GitHub, the Qwen 3 models range from 0.6 billion to 235 billion parameters, which are indicative of their problem-solving capabilities. The models are designed to handle both complex reasoning tasks and simpler requests efficiently, supporting 119 languages and trained on a vast dataset of nearly 36 trillion tokens. Notably, the Qwen-3-235B-A22B model outperforms OpenAI's o3-mini and Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro in specific benchmarks but remains unavailable to the public.

The rise of advanced AI models from China, such as Qwen 3, is intensifying competition with American labs and prompting US policymakers to impose restrictions on chip sales to Chinese firms. This development reflects a broader trend of increasingly capable open-source models competing with proprietary systems from companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. Tuhin Srivastava, CEO of AI cloud host Baseten, suggests that despite US efforts to curb chip sales, state-of-the-art open models will continue to be utilized domestically in China, illustrating the dual approach businesses are taking by developing proprietary tools while also leveraging open-source innovations.

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RATING

6.6

Fair Story

Consider it well-founded

The article provides a clear and timely overview of Alibaba's Qwen 3 AI models, highlighting their features and competitive positioning. It effectively communicates complex technical information in an accessible manner, making it suitable for a broad audience. However, the article's reliance on Alibaba's claims without sufficient independent verification or diverse perspectives limits its overall accuracy and balance. While it addresses topics of significant public interest and potential impact, the lack of critical viewpoints or in-depth analysis of broader implications constrains its engagement and controversy potential. Enhancing source variety and transparency would improve the article's credibility and depth, offering a more comprehensive understanding of the technological and geopolitical issues at play.

Accuracy

The article presents several factual claims that align with known information about Alibaba's Qwen 3 AI models. For example, it accurately reports on the model's parameter sizes and its competitive positioning against models from Google and OpenAI. However, the claims regarding the performance superiority of Qwen 3 over other models would benefit from third-party verification to ensure precision. The story also mentions the availability of these models on platforms like Hugging Face and GitHub, which are verifiable facts. However, some claims, such as the model's hybrid reasoning capabilities and its ability to 'fact-check' itself, require more detailed evidence or external validation to confirm their accuracy.

Balance

The article primarily presents Alibaba's perspective on the Qwen 3 models, focusing on the company's claims about their performance and capabilities. While it mentions the competitive pressure on American labs and includes a statement from Tuhin Srivastava, it lacks a broader range of viewpoints, such as input from independent AI experts or competitors. This could lead to a perception of favoritism towards Alibaba's narrative. The story could have been more balanced by including potential criticisms or limitations of the Qwen 3 models, or by discussing the implications of such advancements in AI technology.

Clarity

The article is generally clear and well-structured, with a logical flow of information. It effectively explains complex concepts like AI model parameters and hybrid reasoning in a way that is accessible to a general audience. The language is neutral and informative, which aids comprehension. However, some technical terms, such as 'fact-checking' capabilities and 'tool-calling,' could benefit from further explanation to ensure all readers fully understand the implications.

Source quality

The article cites statements from Alibaba and includes a quote from Tuhin Srivastava, co-founder and CEO of AI cloud host Baseten, which adds a layer of credibility. However, the reliance on Alibaba's claims without additional independent sources or expert analysis limits the depth of source quality. The inclusion of more authoritative sources, such as AI researchers or industry analysts, would enhance the reliability and impartiality of the reporting.

Transparency

The article provides some transparency by citing Alibaba's claims and a quote from an industry participant. However, it lacks detailed disclosure of the methodologies used to evaluate the Qwen 3 models' performance. The story does not discuss potential conflicts of interest or biases in the reporting, which could affect the audience's understanding of the article's impartiality. Greater transparency about the basis of claims and the potential impact of chip restrictions on Chinese AI companies would improve the article's transparency score.