Alibaba forms task force to boost AI development after Qwen chief's exit


By Che PanLaurie Chen
FILE PHOTO: Qwen and Alibaba logos are seen in this illustration taken, January 29, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

BEIJING, March 5 (Reuters) - Alibaba ⁠Group Holding Ltd said on Thursday ‌it would set up a new task force to accelerate foundation model development, following the resignation ​of its Qwen AI division ⁠head Lin Junyang.

The ⁠task force will be coordinated by Alibaba ⁠Group ‌CEO Eddie Wu, Group Chief Technology Officer Wu Zeming, and ⁠Alibaba Cloud CTO Zhou Jingren, who ​will mobilise ‌group-wide resources for the initiative, the ⁠company said ​in a letter to staff.

Zhou will continue to lead Tongyi Laboratory, Alibaba's AI ⁠research arm, and oversee its ​ongoing projects, according to the letter.

The announcement came a day after Lin posted on ⁠X that he was stepping down from his role at Qwen, the third senior Qwen executive to leave this ​year.

In the staff letter, ⁠which confirmed Lin's departure, Alibaba pledged to ​channel additional resources toward ‌the company's AI development ​efforts.

(Reporting by Che Pan and Laurie Chen; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

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