Alibaba Named to TIME100 Most Influential Companies for Open-source AI Leadership

The TIME list honors global companies driving innovation and societal progress.

Alibaba Group was named to TIME’s 2025 list of the 100 Most Influential Companies, receiving recognition in the “Innovators” category as “a leader in open-source AI”. Curated annually by TIME’s global network of editors and correspondents, this prestigious list honors organizations that shape the future through bold leadership, innovation, and impact.

Alibaba’s inclusion in the TIME 100 list highlights the company’s commitment to democratizing AI and leveraging it for meaningful social impact, seamlessly integrating these efforts within its broader business strategy.

TIME reported that Alibaba has emerged as a leader in open-source AI. Its series of Qwen models—over 200 of which have been open-sourced and collectively downloaded over 300 million times— performed against the likes from OpenAI, Meta, and DeepSeek. These models are utilized by thousands of companies across various sectors including automobile manufacturing, finance, and education.

Meanwhile, TIME recognized Alibaba’s AI-for-good efforts, “other models the company developed have found applications ranging from cancer diagnosis to weather forecasting to help people respond in advance of deadly storms.”

In 2023, Alibaba officially adopted “AI-driven” as its overarching business strategy, propelling the company to the forefront of the global AI landscape. Amid intense international competition in AI, Alibaba remains focused on creating lasting social impact through AI innovation. Central to this vision is the company’s pioneering approach to open-source AI.

Alibaba was among the first companies to open-source its AI models, fostering a thriving ecosystem that empowers developers and businesses of all sizes. Alibaba’s Qwen-based derivative models have surpassed 130,000 on Hugging Face, making it the world’s largest AI model family by derivative count.

Continuing to further empower businesses globally, Alibaba continues to scale its AI capabilities and enhance its cloud infrastructure, preparing enterprises and developers for the next wave of technological advancements. In February 2025, the company announced plans to invest at least RMB 380 billion (US$53 billion) over the next three years to advance its cloud computing and AI infrastructure.

TIME’s recognition marks the beginning of Alibaba’s ongoing journey of innovation and social impact in the AI era. Looking ahead, the company’s dual strategic focus – “User First” and “AI-driven” – will continue to guide Alibaba’s commitment to transformative innovation.

This article was originally published on Alizila written by Jing Wang.

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Tongyi Qianwen (Qwen)