Alibaba releases Qwen-Image-2.1, a 7B open-weight model it says outperforms
Alibaba releases Qwen-Image-2.1, a 7B open-weight model it says outperforms most closed-source models, with native transparency and up to ten reference images
TL;DRAlibaba released an open-source image model that rivals closed commercial alternatives.
Why it matters: Open models reduce vendor lock-in and let developers customize vision AI without licensing costs.
Aided by AI, young people in China launched 7M+ one-person startups
TL;DRChinese youth launched 7 million solo AI startups in 2025, up 42%, fleeing bad job prospects.
Scott Bessent says the US proposed an AI incident notification mechanism
TL;DRUS and China agreed to notify each other of major AI incidents and start formal talks.
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Hong Kong-based Qupital, which offers cross-border ecommerce financing
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Altis Labs, whose AI model analyzes CT scans taken during oncology
AI startup Altis Labs raised $25M to predict patient outcomes from cancer scan data.
T. Rowe Fund Targets Chinese Winners of Booming AI Supply Chain
T. Rowe Price is investing heavily in Chinese AI supply chain companies betting on regional growth.
SoftBank is looking to issue $10B and €1B in debt for its OpenAI
SoftBank plans to raise $11B in junk bonds to fund its OpenAI investment.
BofA's Oberoi on Markets, AI Trade, Central Bank Policy
Bank of America analyst predicts market direction based on AI trends and central bank moves.
Adaptive, which sells accounting software
Construction accounting software startup Adaptive raised $30M in Series B funding.
CATL Sees Limited Impact From China’s New Battery Tax on Orders
China's new battery tax hasn't significantly hurt CATL's order volumes so far.
Australia to Rely on AI to Spur Growth
Australia betting on AI development to fuel economic growth amid global instability.