Huawei Denies Accusations of Copying Alibaba's AI Model, Sparking Debate in China's Tech Sector

Reviewed byNidhi Govil

6 Sources

Huawei's AI research division, Noah Ark Lab, strongly refutes claims that its Pangu Pro model copied elements from Alibaba's Qwen model, asserting independent development and adherence to open-source practices.

Accusations of AI Model Plagiarism

Huawei Technologies Co.'s artificial intelligence research division, Noah Ark Lab, has found itself at the center of a controversy in China's competitive AI market. The lab is facing accusations that its Pangu Pro large language model has copied elements from rival Alibaba Group's Qwen model 1.

Source: Market Screener

Source: Market Screener

The allegations stem from a paper published on GitHub by an entity called HonestAGI, which claimed to have found an "extraordinary correlation" between Huawei's Pangu Pro Moe (Mixture of Experts) model and Alibaba's Qwen 2.5 14B 2. The paper suggested that Huawei's model was derived through "upcycling" rather than being trained from scratch, raising concerns about potential copyright violations and misrepresentation of training investments 3.

Huawei's Response and Claims

In response to these accusations, Noah Ark Lab issued a statement vehemently denying the claims. The lab asserted that the Pangu Pro model was "not based on incremental training of other manufacturers' models" and that it had "made key innovations in architecture design and technical features" 4.

Huawei emphasized that Pangu Pro MoE is the world's first model of its kind to be trained entirely on Ascend chips – Huawei's answer to Nvidia Corp.'s AI accelerators. While acknowledging the use of open-source code, which they described as "common practice," Huawei maintained that they respected intellectual property rights and adhered strictly to licensing terms 1.

Implications for China's AI Sector

This controversy has sparked widespread discussion in AI circles online and in Chinese tech-focused media. It signals a potential turning point in China's AI race, which was once characterized by state-aligned innovation but now faces open rivalry among top players 3.

Source: Benzinga

Source: Benzinga

The dispute comes at a time of intense competition in China's AI market. Earlier in 2024, Chinese startup DeepSeek's release of its open-source model R1 shocked Silicon Valley with its low cost, igniting a fierce competition among China's tech giants to offer competitive products 2.

Market Positions and Future Implications

While Huawei entered the large language model arena early with its original Pangu release in 2021, it has since been perceived as lagging behind rivals. The company recently open-sourced its Pangu Pro Moe models on the Chinese developer platform GitCode, aiming to boost the adoption of its AI technology 5.

Alibaba, on the other hand, has been expanding its AI and cloud presence globally. The company has committed $52 billion over three years to cloud and AI infrastructure and is partnering with tech giants like Microsoft and Nvidia 5.

Source: Bloomberg Business

Source: Bloomberg Business

As the controversy unfolds, industry analysts suggest that this dispute could undermine China's ability to compete with US giants like OpenAI and Google DeepMind in the global AI race 3. The outcome of this situation may have significant implications for the future of AI development and competition in China and beyond.

Explore today's top stories

OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Study Mode: A New Approach to AI-Assisted Learning

OpenAI introduces Study Mode for ChatGPT, designed to enhance learning experiences by encouraging critical thinking rather than providing direct answers. This new feature aims to address concerns about AI's impact on education and student learning.

Ars Technica logoTechCrunch logoMIT Technology Review logo

20 Sources

Technology

11 hrs ago

OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Study Mode: A New Approach to

Microsoft and OpenAI in Advanced Talks to Reshape AI Partnership Amid Cloud Competition

Microsoft and OpenAI are negotiating a new deal that could ensure Microsoft's continued access to OpenAI's technology, even after achieving AGI. This comes as OpenAI diversifies its cloud partnerships, potentially challenging Microsoft's AI edge.

Bloomberg Business logoReuters logoEconomic Times logo

11 Sources

Technology

19 hrs ago

Microsoft and OpenAI in Advanced Talks to Reshape AI

Anthropic Nears $170 Billion Valuation in Potential $5 Billion Funding Round

Anthropic, the AI startup, is close to securing a massive funding round led by Iconiq Capital, potentially valuing the company at $170 billion. This development highlights the growing investor interest in AI companies and the increasing involvement of Middle Eastern capital in the sector.

TechCrunch logoBloomberg Business logoCNBC logo

4 Sources

Business and Economy

11 hrs ago

Anthropic Nears $170 Billion Valuation in Potential $5

Meta's Aggressive AI Talent Hunt and Superintelligence Push: High Costs, Uncertain Returns

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's ambitious pursuit of AI talent and superintelligence capabilities faces challenges as the company reports slower growth amid rising costs. The tech giant's strategy includes massive investments in AI infrastructure and high-profile hires, but questions remain about its open-source approach and the performance of its Llama 4 model.

Wired logoReuters logoCNBC logo

7 Sources

Technology

11 hrs ago

Meta's Aggressive AI Talent Hunt and Superintelligence

Google Enhances AI Mode with New Features for Students and Researchers

Google introduces new AI Mode features including Canvas for study planning, image and PDF uploads on desktop, and real-time video input for Search Live, aimed at improving research and learning experiences.

TechCrunch logoThe Verge logoengadget logo

11 Sources

Technology

11 hrs ago

Google Enhances AI Mode with New Features for Students and
TheOutpost.ai

Your Daily Dose of Curated AI News

Don’t drown in AI news. We cut through the noise - filtering, ranking and summarizing the most important AI news, breakthroughs and research daily. Spend less time searching for the latest in AI and get straight to action.

© 2025 Triveous Technologies Private Limited
Instagram logo
LinkedIn logo