Meta and Google have just been outperformed by an AI giant that may surprise you.

      Alibaba's Qwen AI Model

      The competition in the AI sector typically highlights well-known players like OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Anthropic. However, in terms of downloadable models that developers can utilize and expand upon, Alibaba has surged ahead significantly. The company reports that its Qwen family of open-weight AI models has surpassed 3 billion global downloads in just six months, positioning Qwen ahead of some major AI entities, including those from Meta and Google.

      The disparity becomes particularly evident in Hugging Face's data for 2026. Google’s open models have garnered approximately 418 million downloads, with Meta at around 227 million, as per Hugging Face’s latest State of Open Models report. Meanwhile, Qwen is evolving beyond a single popular model; Alibaba has launched over 460 Qwen models, and developers have produced more than 300,000 derivative models.

      Developers Are Building on Qwen, Not Just Downloading It

      These download figures are significant because open models function differently from proprietary AI services. Developers can adapt them for specific tasks, fine-tune them with their data, and use them as the basis for new AI products. Essentially, every download has the potential to transform into something entirely unique. This trend appears to be occurring on a large scale with Qwen. Hugging Face highlights Qwen as one of the cornerstone elements of today’s open AI ecosystem, with the model family increasingly becoming the preferred choice for developers looking to enhance or deploy their work.

      Qwen Chat / Alibaba

      Moreover, this can create a snowball effect. An increasing number of developers utilizing Qwen results in the emergence of more specialized models, which can attract even more developers and further enhance the ecosystem. Alibaba has another advantage in this regard: its cloud services. The company is extending Qwen to enterprise clients beyond China, including regions in Southeast Asia and Africa, potentially introducing its models to businesses that might otherwise consider American options.

      China’s Open AI Initiative Is Hard to Ignore

      Qwen’s expansion also adds a new layer to the AI competition between China and the US — Alibaba is not operating in isolation. Other Chinese firms, such as DeepSeek, Moonshot AI, and MiniMax, are also advancing in developing robust models, working to close the gap in performance with leading closed systems from companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic.

      The battle for developers is intensifying. Meta and Nvidia have both launched new open AI models recently, providing developers with even more choices regarding the technology they wish to build. For Alibaba, reaching 3 billion downloads indicates that Qwen has already secured a vast audience outside its home market. The next significant AI competition may not just revolve around who creates the smartest model; it could also be about which model becomes the preferred foundation for further development.

      Your Holiday Photos Could Help Scammers Identify Your Location

      AI can glean remarkably precise location details from seemingly innocent Instagram and Facebook posts, enhancing the effectiveness of phishing scams. That harmless holiday photo might reveal more than just a glimpse of nice weather. A new scam reported by The Guardian illustrates how criminals can leverage AI to analyze images posted on social media, determine their location, and use that information to craft convincing phishing messages.

      The method is relatively straightforward. For instance, if someone posts family photos from Porto without specifying the city, they might later receive a message claiming that their bank has detected unusual activity on their card while they were traveling in Porto, prompting them to verify their details via a link. The inclusion of information that only someone familiar with the trip would know makes the message appear much more credible. In reality, the scammer may have known nothing about the trip; the photo provided the necessary information.

      Meta Promised to Stop Creepy AI Glasses Videos, but They Persist on Instagram

      Smart glasses can offer practical benefits, whether for taking hands-free photos, listening to music, or asking an AI assistant about surroundings. Unfortunately, having a camera on someone's face also opens avenues for less pleasant applications, which is becoming a concern for Meta. Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, stated in July that the platform was working to eliminate videos featuring people secretly filmed through Meta glasses. However, a recent investigation by Business Insider suggests that the cleanup has not been as effective as Meta had intended. The report uncovered numerous pickup and prank videos still accessible on Instagram weeks after Mosseri's remarks, some from well-known or verified creators, including footage of women being approached and filmed in public using Meta glasses.

      An AI Company Paid Humans to Engage with a Bot for Stress and Focus Benefits

      The Masturbation Lab Report claims that 37% of adults are open to AI-guided masturbation, asserting that this approach results in significant benefits. In a recent conversation with some college students, I discovered intriguing ways they are incorporating AI in their daily lives. While students utilize AI for various purposes, from research assistance to last-minute cheating methods, what truly caught my attention was one student who occasionally requested that ChatGPT role-play as her