Alibaba's open-weight AI models hit 3B downloads, outpacing Llama and Gemma

Alibaba's open-weight AI models accumulated 3 billion global downloads in the past 6 months, surpassing Meta's Llama, Google's Gemma, and all Chinese domestic competitors combined. Bloomberg reports Chinese models are cheaper, more adaptable, and nearly as proficient as US platforms, prompting US players to reconsider strategy.