Alibaba has released its new-generation foundation model Qwen3.8 and launched a Qwen Office agent, joining the global race in general-purpose office agents. ByteDance introduced its SeedRealtime model, further intensifying competition in real-time AI.
Meanwhile, major Chinese AI platforms are moving from free competition to commercialization. Alibaba's Qianwen AI opened a services platform on Aug. 10, and reports indicate Doubao raised commissions on hotel orders sourced via AI channels. As computing costs rise, open platforms charging performance-based fees are emerging as a more direct monetization path than memberships or API sales.
