Moonshot and Alibaba unveil AI models challenging OpenAI and Anthropic at lower cost

Chinese AI firms Moonshot and Alibaba have released new models they claim rival top US systems from OpenAI and Anthropic, but at significantly lower cost. Beijing-based Moonshot unveiled its Kimi K3 model on Friday, asserting it outperforms nearly all American AI systems in its own benchmarks. Alibaba followed with its own competitive release, signaling a rapid acceleration in China's AI development. The back-to-back launches highlight a narrowing gap between US and Chinese AI capabilities at a time when the technology holds growing importance for national security and economic power.