The new multimodal model targets coding and complex productivity tasks, with open weights promised soon and a discounted preview already live.
Alibaba has released Qwen 3.8, an open-weight model with 2.4 trillion parameters that the company says trails only Fable 5 among frontier models [1].
For developers and businesses evaluating large model options, the release is notable on two fronts: scale and timing. Qwen 3.8 is the Qwen team’s first multimodal model exceeding 1 trillion parameters, capable of processing images, videos, and documents, according to developer Shuai Bai [1]. It also arrives as rival Moonshot AI’s Kimi K3 has been building commercial momentum [1].
What the model does
Alibaba says Qwen 3.8 should outperform its predecessor, Qwen 3.7-Max, particularly in coding and complex productivity tasks including full-stack development, data analysis, and office workflows [1]. No benchmark results have been published yet [1].
A preview is currently available through Alibaba’s Token Plan, Qoder, and QoderWork at 10 percent of the standard price [1]. Open weights are coming “soon,” the company said, though no specific date was given [1].
The competitive context
The release appears timed to put pressure on Moonshot AI, whose Kimi K3 model has attracted significant developer interest [1]. Moonshot has promised open weights of its own, but access currently runs through its chat app and application programming interface (API), effectively converting that interest into paying customers [1]. Qwen’s open-weight release could disrupt that strategy [1].
Moonshot reached $300 million in annual recurring revenue in June and plans to go public in as little as six months, according to Bloomberg’s reporting cited by The Decoder [1].
Sources
This article was drafted with AI from the cited sources and checked against them before publication. Spot an error? Let us know.
