From cotton fields to global markets: How Uzbekistan is building a textile industry
For decades, Uzbekistan’s cotton industry was primarily associated with the production and harvesting of ...
Alibaba is now offering free, open-source access to its latest generative AI models capable of producing highly realistic videos and images from text and image inputs. The move, which sees the company releasing four variants of its Wan 2.1 series, is expected to boost innovation among researchers, a
The open-source models—named T2V-1.3B, T2V-14B, I2V-14B-720P, and I2V-14B-480P—are available for download and modification via Alibaba Cloud’s ModelScope platform and Hugging Face. Notably, the “14B” designation indicates that these models can process 14 billion parameters, highlighting their advanced capabilities in generating highly detailed and lifelike content.
This initiative follows in the footsteps of recent moves by other Chinese tech companies. Last month, DeepSeek made headlines by releasing its R1 reasoning model for free, intensifying the global clamor for more open-source AI technologies. DeepSeek’s commitment to the open-source community, which includes plans to release five new code repositories, has added momentum to the broader trend of accessible AI innovation.
Alibaba’s foray into open-source generative AI comes as part of its long-term commitment to advancing the technology landscape, a journey that began with the emergence of OpenAI’s ChatGPT two years ago. In a related development, Alibaba Group’s Chairman, Joe Tsai, recently announced that the company’s generative AI technology would power AI features for iPhones sold in the Chinese market—an initiative driven by local regulatory requirements that prevent Apple from using its own AI tech in China.
By providing free access to its state-of-the-art models, Alibaba aims to spur creative applications and research breakthroughs across multiple sectors. This bold step not only reinforces the company’s position as a leading innovator in generative AI but also contributes to the growing global ecosystem of open-source AI tools designed to democratize access to advanced digital technologies.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan will hold an urgent high-level meeting under a joint defence pact to discuss ways to support the kingdom amid attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis. The meeting comes as Tehran seeks to distance itself from the rapid advance of its Houthi allies.
World leaders return to the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday for the fourth day of the high-level General Debate, with speeches and diplomatic meetings continuing throughout the day.
Finland and Sweden deployed fighter aircraft on Thursday after a group of Russian military planes was detected over the Gulf of Finland, the Finnish Air Force reported on Friday (25 September).
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday, 24 September, for talks focused on trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and the war with Iran.
Fourteen Kazakh military personnel died after being swept out to sea during a naval training exercise in the western Mangistau region, authorities said on Thursday.
Meta has unveiled a new generation of wearables, including lightweight virtual reality glasses and camera-free smart spectacles, as it pushes AI-powered devices further into the mainstream while seeking to address privacy concerns.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday (19 September) the creation of an “AI Force” and plans to appoint an artificial intelligence (AI) czar, while rejecting calls to slow the development of increasingly powerful AI systems.
Google’s Gemini AI model accessed the internet and hacked three companies during a cybersecurity test, in what is believed to be the first known case of the company’s AI systems autonomously carrying out such activity.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 18 September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in the field of science.
French prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into suspected sexual harassment involving smart glasses, amid mounting global concern over the privacy risks posed by the devices.
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