Chinese tech giant Alibaba has announced plans to release an open-source version of its AI-powered video and image-generating model, Wan 2.1. The decision comes as competition intensifies in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, particularly in China, where companies are racing to develop advanced generative AI technologies.

Alibaba’s Move Towards Open-Source AI

Alibaba introduced its Wan AI model in January 2025 under the name Wanx, later rebranded as Wan. The model has gained recognition for its ability to generate high-quality videos and images using AI, positioning itself among the top AI models in its category. Wan 2.1 has received high rankings on VBench, a benchmarking platform for video generation models, excelling in multi-object interaction and scene coherence.

By making Wan 2.1 open-source, Alibaba aims to foster greater collaboration within the AI community, allowing developers and researchers to experiment, improve, and customize the model for various applications. The company is set to reveal further details in a recorded video release at 11 p.m. GMT.

Rising Competition in China’s AI Industry

The decision to open-source Wan 2.1 aligns with a broader trend in China’s AI market. Recently, DeepSeek, another AI company, launched open-source models that have demonstrated performance comparable to leading AI systems from OpenAI. This growing competition has prompted tech giants like Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu to expand their AI capabilities and increase accessibility to their models.

Alibaba’s decision reflects a strategic shift towards open innovation, allowing more developers to integrate and enhance AI-powered video creation tools. By doing so, the company seeks to compete with global AI leaders while contributing to the development of generative AI.

Expanding AI Capabilities

Apart from Wan 2.1, Alibaba has also introduced a preview version of QwQ-Max, its advanced AI reasoning model. The company has confirmed that QwQ-Max will also be open-sourced upon its full release, further expanding its contributions to the open AI ecosystem.

Additionally, Alibaba has announced plans to invest at least 380 billion yuan ($52 billion USD) in enhancing its cloud computing and AI infrastructure. This investment will support the company’s ambition to strengthen its AI capabilities and compete on a global scale.

What This Means for AI Development

Alibaba’s decision to open-source Wan 2.1 could have significant implications for AI research and development. By providing free access to the model, the company allows developers worldwide to:

• Refine and customize video generation technologies
• Improve AI-generated content quality
• Develop new applications in media, entertainment, and marketing

Experts believe that open-source AI models can lead to faster innovation while also raising concerns about misuse and ethical considerations. However, Alibaba’s move is expected to contribute positively to global AI advancements.

Conclusion

With the AI industry rapidly evolving, Alibaba’s decision to open-source Wan 2.1 demonstrates a commitment to collaboration and innovation. As AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated, open-source contributions from major tech companies like Alibaba are likely to play a crucial role in shaping the future of AI-powered creativity.

For further details, Alibaba is expected to provide additional insights into Wan 2.1’s open-source availability in its official video announcement.