Smaller, Smarter: Alibaba’s QwQ-32B Takes on Bigger AI Models

Named QwQ-32B, the model is based on Alibaba’s Qwen2.5-32B and operates with 32.5 billion parameters. Despite its size, it performs on par with DeepSeek r1, which uses 671 billion parameters. This challenges the idea that bigger models always perform better.

In a March 6 post on X, Alibaba's Qwen team announced the release of their new AI model, stating, "Today, we release QwQ-32B, our new reasoning model with only 32 billion parameters that rivals cutting-edge reasoning model, e.g., DeepSeek-R1".

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The team highlighted that reinforcement learning (RL) enhanced the model’s ability to handle complex tasks. They noted that its math and coding performance improved as training continued.

Support for QwQ-32B has also been added by Ollama and Groq, allowing developers to integrate it into various applications. With Groq’s infrastructure, the model can run at record speeds, which makes it more accessible for different use cases.

Unlike many AI models that require paid access, QwQ-32B is open-source under the Apache 2.0 license. This means developers can use and modify it freely. Alibaba’s decision to release it this way follows its January launch of Qwen 2.5-Max.

On February 27, OpenAI launched its latest AI model, GPT-4.5, which prioritizes natural, human-like interactions over reasoning but comes at a higher cost. What did CEO Sam Altman say about it? Read the full story.