Alibaba makes AI video generation model free to use globally

Alibaba makes AI video generation model free to use globally


The Alibaba office building is seen in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China, on Aug 28, 2024.

CFOTO | Future Publishing | Getty Images

Alibaba on Wednesday said that it has made its video generation artificial intelligence models free to use, further ramping up competition with rivals like OpenAI.

The Chinese giant said it is open sourcing four models that are part of its Wan2.1 series, the latest version of the company’s foundational AI model that can generate images and video from text and image inputs.

These models will be available via Alibaba Cloud’s Model Scope and Hugging Face, a huge repository of AI models. They will be accessible to academics, researchers and commercial institutions globally.

Alibaba’s Hong Kong-listed shares closed nearly 5% higher.

Open-source AI tech has been thrown into the spotlight since Chinese firm DeepSeek rattled global markets in January, after claiming its artificial intelligence model was trained at a fraction of the cost of leading AI players and on less-advanced Nvidia chips.

DeepSeek’s model is open source, like Alibaba’s, meaning it can be downloaded and modified by others.

Open source differs from proprietary models such as those created by OpenAI and do not produce revenue for companies. Open sourcing a technology serves a number of purposes, including driving innovation and building a community around a product.

A debate is currently swirling about whether AI models will become commoditized.

Chinese firms in particular have been pushing forward with open source models, Alibaba’s and DeepSeek’s now among the most popular used globally. Alibaba published its first open source model in August 2023, while Meta is leading the open source charge with its Llama models in the U.S.

Alibaba’s stock has been on a tear this year, with the Hong Kong listing up 66% in 2025 to date due to factors including the company’s improved financial performance, its perception as one of the key AI players in China and recent signals of further support from Chinese president Xi Jinping for the domestic private sector.



Source

Charlize Theron is choosing to be single, she told ‘Call Her Daddy’: That can be ‘a sign of strength,’ says relationship expert
World

Charlize Theron is choosing to be single, she told ‘Call Her Daddy’: That can be ‘a sign of strength,’ says relationship expert

Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron has had her share of romantic relationships. Among the most famous were her relationships with Third Eye Blind frontman Stephan Jenkins and actor Sean Penn. But these days, the mother of two is choosing to be single, she recently told Alex Cooper on podcast “Call Her Daddy.” For her, building her […]

Read More
The ‘cortisol cocktail’ has gone viral on TikTok—but can it actually reduce stress? Here’s what doctors say
World

The ‘cortisol cocktail’ has gone viral on TikTok—but can it actually reduce stress? Here’s what doctors say

Let’s face it: Americans are stressed. Google searches for “how to reduce stress” are high, and 77% of U.S. adults report that the country’s future is a major source of stress, according to a survey done by the American Psychological Association. So, it’s no surprise that people are looking for ways to better manage their […]

Read More
Happiness researcher shares his ’90-second rule’ to live a better, more fulfilled life—it helps when you’re angry or upset
World

Happiness researcher shares his ’90-second rule’ to live a better, more fulfilled life—it helps when you’re angry or upset

Mo Gawdat’s son, Ali, was 21 years old when he died due to medical negligence during a routine appendix surgery in 2014. Gawdat was devastated, confused and in a palpable state of shock. Then, 17 days later, he started writing a book on how to be happy, in his son’s honor. Gawdat has researched the […]

Read More
Powered by WordPress | WP Magazine by WP Mag Plus