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Why China is suddenly flooding the market with powerful AI models

The pace of open-source push by Beijing has been relentless.

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Alibaba unveiled a new version of the Quark AI app, a move intended to help the company keep pace with Chinese artificial intelligence rivals.

Alibaba unveiled a new version of the Quark AI app, a move intended to help the company keep pace with Chinese artificial intelligence rivals.

PHOTO: BLOOMBERG

June Yoon

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Retaliation seemed certain. When the US tightened its grip on advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in January –

blocking China’s access to advanced AI chips

and locking proprietary models behind trade barriers – the response appeared predictable. China would build its own walls, guard its breakthroughs and double down on secrecy. 

Instead, China is doing something unexpected: it is giving away its most advanced AI models.

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