Alibaba tests paid AI appetite with US$30 annual QwenWork subscription

Alibaba Group Holding is testing the concept of charging users for its AI-powered office assistant, QwenWork. The company's Qwen app now provides three membership levels for QwenWork, with annual subscriptions ranging from $29.60 to $1,499. Users can also purchase additional video generation credits at prices between $3.60 and $1,200, depending on their usage needs. This move follows a recent public testing period for QwenWork, which initially offered the work productivity AI agent for free to boost adoption.

Alibaba's decision to monetize QwenWork comes as the company grapples with the rising costs of running large language models and multi-modal agents. The e-commerce giant sees monetization as essential to offset these expenses as the technology matures. In addition to its paid membership tiers, Alibaba is working to integrate Qwen into a broader AI agent ecosystem, allowing third-party developers to incorporate the tool across various devices and sectors, including logistics, real estate, finance, and automotive.

The company's subscription strategy aligns with those of global competitors such as OpenAI and Anthropic, which have also introduced paid tiers for premium features. Other domestic AI players, including Moonshot AI and Z.ai, have also launched paid plans for advanced tools. According to Wang Zebin, an investment manager at Shenzhen-based JG Investment, Alibaba's subscription model reflects the importance of monetization and user growth in driving further technical improvements.