A leadership shake-up has occurred within the artificial intelligence unit of Alibaba Group following the resignation of a key executive overseeing one of the company’s major AI projects.
Lin Junyang, head of the company’s Qwen artificial intelligence model division, stepped down from his role in early March 2026. His departure marks the third senior exit from the Qwen team this year, raising questions about the direction of Alibaba’s rapidly expanding AI program.
The executive reportedly announced his resignation in a brief message posted online, offering no explanation for the decision. His exit came shortly after the company released updated versions of its Qwen artificial intelligence models, which are designed to compete in the global generative AI market.
Industry analysts note that the Qwen platform has seen rapid growth in recent months. The mobile application associated with the AI models recorded a sharp increase in users, reaching more than 200 million in February and ranking among the most widely used AI tools globally.
In response to the leadership change, Alibaba announced plans to establish a new internal task force aimed at strengthening its AI development efforts. The initiative will focus on advancing foundational AI models and expanding research capabilities across the company.
The task force will be led by senior executives including Alibaba Group Chief Executive Officer Eddie Wu alongside other technology leaders within the company’s cloud and AI divisions. The move reflects Alibaba’s broader strategy to accelerate innovation in artificial intelligence and maintain competitiveness in the global technology sector.
Despite the leadership changes, Alibaba has reaffirmed its commitment to artificial intelligence development, emphasizing continued investment in research, computing infrastructure, and open-source AI models as it competes with major technology companies worldwide.
