- Alibaba launches full-modal AI model Qwen3.5-Omni, supporting a 256k context window and 113 languages.
- The release comes as Alibaba Cloud prepares to hike AI computing prices by up to 34% on April 18, driven by surging token demand and supply chain pressures.
Alibaba officially launched its full-modal large language model, Qwen3.5-Omni, as the tech giant seeks to deepen artificial intelligence’s interaction with the physical world.
The new lineup includes Plus, Flash, and Light instruction versions that support an extended context window of up to 256k, the company said in a statement Monday.
In terms of data processing, the model can handle more than 10 hours of continuous audio input and process over 400 seconds of 720p-resolution audio and video simultaneously.
The system secured 215 top ratings in highly complex tasks such as audio-visual analysis and reasoning. Its general audio comprehension and conversational capabilities comprehensively surpass those of Gemini 3.1-Pro, according to Alibaba.
Qwen3.5-Omni utilizes an upgraded Hybrid Attention Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) architecture, enabling the model to extract key information quickly and efficiently even when processing lengthy audio and video files.
The new model significantly expands its speech recognition capabilities to 113 languages and dialects globally. It has also developed emergent visual coding capabilities, allowing it to generate code directly based on on-screen visual logic.
The system natively supports web search and complex tool-calling functions, allowing it to autonomously decide whether to access the internet for real-time information when handling tasks like weather queries and hotel bookings.
The technological roll-out coincides with a severe supply-demand imbalance for computing power in China’s AI sector. Alibaba Cloud plans to hike AI computing prices by up to 34% starting April 18.
A surge in token usage for large language models is the primary driver behind Alibaba’s decision to implement the steep price increase. The company’s Bailian platform recorded its highest-ever growth rate in the first quarter of this year.
A significant rise in supply chain costs and computing bottlenecks are upending the industry’s previous price-war conventions. Rival Zhipu AI already raised its API usage prices by up to 100% in February.
