TLDR

Following the departure of Qwen division leader Lin Junyang, Alibaba has established a Foundation Model Task Force to accelerate artificial intelligence initiatives.
CEO Eddie Wu will spearhead the task force alongside Group CTO Wu Zeming and Alibaba Cloud CTO Zhou Jingren.
Lin’s resignation represents the third departure of a senior Qwen executive in 2025.
Zhou Jingren maintains his leadership position at Tongyi Laboratory while pursuing current AI initiatives.
The company has committed to expanding AI research investments and recruiting elite technical talent.

In response to significant changes in its artificial intelligence division leadership, Alibaba has enacted a major restructuring that places top executives in direct control. Through an internal memo distributed to Tongyi Laboratory personnel — the group responsible for developing Qwen AI models — CEO Eddie Wu outlined the formation of the new task force and reinforced the organization’s commitment to foundation model advancement.

Alibaba Group Holding Limited, BABA

Through a post on X, Lin Junyang made his departure public, receiving supportive messages from the broader AI community, including recognition from Chinese AI startup MiniMax. In his staff communication, Wu expressed appreciation for Lin’s work during his tenure.

With Lin’s resignation being the third senior departure from the Qwen team in 2025, questions have emerged regarding the stability of one of China’s premier AI development groups.

The restructured task force positions Alibaba’s highest-ranking technology executives at the helm of AI model strategy. The triumvirate of Wu, Wu Zeming, and Zhou Jingren will orchestrate resource allocation throughout the organization.

According to Wu’s memo, pushing forward with foundation models represents a “core strategic priority” essential to the company’s trajectory.

The CEO emphasized that the company remains committed to its open-source model philosophy while simultaneously ramping up AI research and development spending.

Strategic talent recruitment has become a central focus. Wu’s communication explicitly highlighted plans to expedite hiring of elite professionals as part of the strategic expansion.

Leadership Continuity at Tongyi Lab

Zhou Jingren will maintain his position as head of Tongyi Laboratory, the research division within Alibaba Cloud responsible for Qwen model development. He will manage existing projects while simultaneously fulfilling his new responsibilities on the task force.

The Qwen series has emerged as one of Alibaba’s most prominent AI offerings, earning recognition within the open-source ecosystem for its capabilities and ease of implementation.

Zhou’s continued involvement ensures operational stability at the research level despite the executive transitions occurring above.

Alibaba Doubles Down on AI Investment

The creation of the task force comes with a substantial commitment to increase financial and human capital dedicated to artificial intelligence. While Alibaba refrained from disclosing precise investment figures, Wu’s communication left little ambiguity about the company’s intentions to scale operations.

In his message to team members, Wu stated the organization will “further scale up investment in AI research and development.”

While Lin’s exit triggered the organizational response, the framework Alibaba is implementing indicates a long-term strategic shift rather than a reactive measure. Positioning the CEO alongside two chief technology officers in direct oversight of foundation models represents an unconventional organizational approach.

The internal communication was initially circulated among Tongyi Laboratory staff before Alibaba made it publicly available.

Zhou Jingren now operates in a bifurcated capacity — managing Tongyi Lab operations while participating on the executive task force with Alibaba’s senior leadership.

The organization acknowledged Lin’s resignation in the staff communication and confirmed acceptance of his decision to leave.

The post Alibaba (BABA) Stock: CEO Forms AI Task Force After Senior Qwen Executives Exit appeared first on Blockonomi.

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Filed under: Bitcoin - @ March 5, 2026 1:12 pm