Alibaba Launches Qwen Audio 3.1 with Five New Models and Major Price Cuts
- Published
- Sep 23, 2026 — 12:31 UTC
On September 23, 2026, Alibaba's Qwen team launched Qwen Audio 3.1, introducing five new AI audio models. The price reductions are significant: automatic speech recognition (ASR) prices drop by up to 95%, text-to-speech (TTS) by about 70%, and real-time interaction models by roughly 85%. This move aims to enhance accessibility for developers and businesses looking to integrate advanced audio capabilities into their applications. The new models include the ASR and TTS-Next, which features improved empathy in responses, adjusting its tone based on detected user mood. This follows Alibaba's previous announcements regarding AI model developments, indicating a strategic push towards making AI tools more affordable and user-friendly.
By Callan Zhang · Sep 23, 2026 · Editorial standards →
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Source: The Decoder