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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Joe Tsai, Alibaba Group’s chairman, argues that open models such as Alibaba’s Qwen could give European organizations more choice in building and deploying AI. That is a case for supplier diversification, not a promise of technological independence: when asked whether Europe could trust China not to cut off access to its technology, Tsai answered, “you can’t.”
What Joe Tsai is arguing
At VivaTech in Paris in June 2026, Tsai promoted open-source Chinese models as one way for European firms to diversify their AI technology stacks and retain more deployment options. The argument is that access to models that can be run or adapted outside a single proprietary platform may help organizations choose where and how to use AI. It does not remove the need to assess who supplies the model, infrastructure and ongoing support. Caixin Global reported both the diversification pitch and Tsai’s blunt warning about possible access restrictions.
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The headline phrase “Europe’s best shot” captures the strategic framing; it is not established as a direct quotation from Tsai. Nor do the available reports establish that open-source AI is Europe’s single best route. The more specific claim is that open models could give European buyers another option alongside proprietary AI platforms.
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Open models can increase choice, but the label does not tell a buyer exactly what is available or under whose control. A model may have accessible weights while other components remain closed. The Linux Foundation’s August 2025 report on Europe’s open-source community warns that this can limit transparency and reproducibility.
Model weights alone do not establish independent control over training data, code, compute, hosting or technical support. A European organization may have more freedom to select or run a model and still depend on an outside provider for the infrastructure that makes it usable. That distinction is central to evaluating claims about AI sovereignty.
What the European open-source ecosystem can—and cannot—show
The Linux Foundation describes activity across European researchers, grassroots projects, startups and large enterprises. Its examples include OpenLLM Europe and OpenGPT-X, alongside work on datasets, benchmarks, leaderboards and models for European languages and use cases. Some community projects focus on smaller, specialized models.
That activity is not proof that Europe already has a complete, self-sufficient AI stack. The same report identifies constraints: compute and funding are difficult for researchers and grassroots projects to secure, some model components remain closed, and developers need clearer understanding of regulatory duties.
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In the Linux Foundation’s 2025 Global Collaboration in AI Survey, 89% of the 70 Europe-based respondents selected open-source software as critical to advancing sovereign AI. The question allowed respondents to select multiple approaches, so the result records opinion among that survey sample; it does not measure whether open source achieves sovereignty or represent all Europeans. Respondents also selected open data and open standards at 69% each, open governance at 49%, open infrastructure at 37% and open hardware at 20%.
Alibaba’s commercial interest matters
Alibaba is not a neutral observer in this debate. It develops the Qwen model family and sells cloud infrastructure. The company describes its AI approach as full-stack: chips and infrastructure, foundation models and applications. Tsai has called that integration Alibaba’s “core strategy.”
Alibaba said it pledged more than US$53 billion for AI and cloud infrastructure over three years beginning in February 2025. The company also said it opened a third European cloud hub in France, following Germany and the United Kingdom, and planned agentic AI services for European markets later in 2026. Those are company statements; the planned services should not be taken as evidence that they have launched.
Open model access can coexist with paid cloud services. In a February 2026 account of Tsai’s remarks, Alibaba argued that developers can create commercial value elsewhere in the AI stack, including cloud computing. In March 2025, Tsai said freely available models could let smaller businesses, individuals and entrepreneurs build and customize AI. These are his and Alibaba’s arguments about the model’s potential, not measured proof of the outcomes.
How European organizations should compare AI options
There is no controlled head-to-head comparison in the cited material, and openness alone is not a sufficient basis for choosing a model. A buyer evaluating an open model, a hosted service or a combination should examine the actual terms and operating conditions for its use case.
- What is open: Check whether weights, code, training data, documentation and the license are available, and what the license permits.
- Where the system runs: Establish whether inference runs on infrastructure the organization controls or on a vendor’s hosted service.
- Data handling and jurisdiction: Confirm what data is retained, how it is handled and which jurisdiction applies.
- Task and language performance: Assess the model for the organization’s own languages and workloads rather than assuming a general capability claim applies.
- Compute and operating cost: Account for the resources and ongoing work required to run and maintain a model, not just the cost of access.
- Security, maintenance and support: Identify who fixes issues, provides updates and supports the system over time.
- Regulatory responsibilities: Determine which obligations apply to the organization’s deployment and role.
- Continuity risk: Consider what happens if a supplier changes access, support or service terms, including for geopolitical reasons.
These checks apply to hosted and self-managed options alike. Running an open model locally may increase control over deployment, but it also makes the organization responsible for the infrastructure and its operation. A hosted service can reduce that operational burden while leaving more decisions in the provider’s hands.
The practical takeaway for Europe
Tsai’s argument is strongest as a case for adding options: European organizations may use open models to diversify suppliers and gain flexibility over deployment. It is weaker if interpreted as a guarantee of sovereignty. The Linux Foundation’s report points to the broader requirements—open data and standards, infrastructure, governance, funding and regulatory clarity—while Tsai’s “you can’t” answer makes clear that supplier continuity remains a strategic risk.
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