Alibaba Launches Qwen 3.5 Amidst Major AI Developments
Alibaba launches Qwen 3.5 to rival competitors, Meta deepens ties with Nvidia for AI chips, and Mistral AI boosts its portfolio with Koyeb acquisition.
EDITION #113, Feb 17
Alibaba launches Qwen 3.5 to rival competitors, Meta deepens ties with Nvidia for AI chips, and Mistral AI boosts its portfolio with Koyeb acquisition.
Image credit: TechCrunch
February 17, 2026 Tech Highlights
In a significant move, the European Parliament has prohibited lawmakers from utilizing built-in AI features on their devices due to security concerns. This decision follows worries about sensitive data being uploaded to AI providers like OpenAI and Microsoft, which could lead to privacy breaches and unauthorized data access.
Meanwhile, Snapchat is set to launch Creator Subscriptions on February 23, allowing select creators to monetize their content with exclusive perks for subscribers. Notable creators like Jeremiah Brown and Skai Jackson are among the first to offer these subscriptions.
- European Parliament blocks AI use on lawmakers' devices, citing security risks.
- Snapchat's Creator Subscriptions will offer exclusive content starting February 23, 2026.
- AI startups raised over $76B in 2025, with notable rounds in February 2026.
- India aims for $200B in AI infrastructure investment by 2028, backed by Big Tech.
Image Source: Reuters
NEW AI ERA
Alibaba Unveils Qwen 3.5
Alibaba has launched Qwen 3.5, a cutting-edge AI model designed for the emerging agentic AI era. This model boasts significant performance improvements, claiming to be 60% cheaper and eight times more efficient with large workloads compared to its predecessor. With capabilities for autonomous actions across mobile and desktop applications, Qwen 3.5 is positioned as a competitive alternative to models like OpenAI's GPT-5.2 and Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.5.
Targeting developers and enterprises, Qwen 3.5 offers both open-weight and hosted deployment options, expanding its accessibility. As Alibaba competes with ByteDance’s Doubao 2.0 in the Chinese market, the recent user uptick was fueled by a successful coupon campaign within Qwen.
Image source: CNBC
AI CHIP EXPANSION
Meta Expands AI Chip Deal with Nvidia
Meta has significantly expanded its partnership with Nvidia, committing to deploy millions of Nvidia AI chips, including the new Grace CPUs and Vera Rubin systems, in its data centers. This multi-year agreement is poised to enhance Meta's AI capabilities across its platforms, including WhatsApp, and marks a substantial investment in AI infrastructure, with plans to allocate up to $135 billion by 2026.
The rollout of these advanced chips aims to improve performance and efficiency for Meta's AI workloads. The first standalone Grace CPUs are expected to be operational by 2027, reinforcing Meta's reliance on Nvidia for critical AI tasks.
Source: TechCrunch
AI CLOUD EXPANSION
Mistral AI Acquires Koyeb
Mistral AI has officially acquired Koyeb, a Paris-based cloud service startup, to enhance its AI infrastructure capabilities. This strategic move integrates Koyeb's serverless computing technology into Mistral's offerings, aiming to optimize AI model deployment and inference workloads. With Koyeb's 13 engineers joining Mistral, the acquisition supports Mistral's ambition to build a comprehensive AI cloud ecosystem.
The acquisition follows Mistral's significant $1.4 billion investment in European data centers, reinforcing its commitment to reducing reliance on non-European cloud providers. Koyeb will continue its operations while enhancing Mistral's capacity for scalable AI solutions.
Learn how it impacts the AI landscape
Image via TechCrunch
CREATOR SUBSCRIPTIONS LAUNCH
Snapchat Unveils Creator Subscriptions in the US
Snapchat is set to launch Creator Subscriptions on February 23, allowing select creators to monetize their content directly. This new feature will enable fans to pay between $4.99 and $19.99 monthly for exclusive access to content, priority replies, and ad-free viewing of Stories. Initial partners include popular creators like Jeremiah Brown and Skai Jackson, marking a significant step in Snapchat's strategy to diversify revenue streams beyond advertising.
With approximately 946 million monthly active users, Snapchat aims to deepen connections between creators and their audiences. The move follows a broader trend in social media, as platforms like Meta’s Instagram also explore subscription models.
Image by: TechCrunch
NEW AI PARTNERSHIP
Infostratio Partners with Anthropic for AI Solutions
Infostratio has joined forces with Anthropic to integrate advanced AI solutions into its offerings. This collaboration will leverage Anthropic’s Sonnet models, including the newly released Sonnet 4.6, which features a 1-million-token context window to manage extensive data inputs efficiently. The partnership aims to enhance Infostratio's capabilities in coding and complex data processing, positioning it as a leader in enterprise AI solutions.
As part of this initiative, Infostratio is set to deploy autonomous agents across various sectors, including telecom and finance. This strategic move comes amid a growing demand for AI-driven services, with Infosys reporting AI services constituting 5.5% of its Q3 revenue. The partnership signifies a commitment to responsible AI deployment, ensuring compliance and governance in enterprise applications.
