DeepSeek competes with Alibaba's $53 billion AI investment

Key Takeaways

• ByteDance launched Seedance 2.0, an AI video generator, on February 15, 2026, sparking strong condemnation from Hollywood over alleged copyright infringement and unauthorized use of likenesses.
• Hollywood organizations, including the Motion Picture Association and SAG-AFTRA, along with companies like Disney and Paramount Skydance, have issued legal threats against ByteDance regarding Seedance 2.0.
• ByteDance is implementing safeguards and plans to limit its Seedance 2.0 AI video tool in response to legal pressure and accusations of copyright infringement.
• Alibaba unveiled its upgraded Qwen 3.5 AI model on February 16, designed for complex AI agent tasks, capable of processing text, photos, and videos up to two hours long.
• Alibaba has invested over $53 billion in AI development and is actively competing with rivals like DeepSeek and ByteDance's Doubao in the AI market.
• The Qwen3.5-397B-A17B model uses a Mixture-of-Experts system, offering the intelligence of a 400 billion parameter model with faster activation of 17 billion parameters, supporting 201 languages and a 1 million token context length.
• Cleveland Clinic is utilizing AI to detect seizures rapidly from brain wave data, reducing analysis time from two hours for humans to seconds for AI.
• Sutter Health is integrating AI-powered decision support into its Epic EHR systems, in partnership with OpenEvidence, to provide doctors with quick access to care guidelines via natural language searches.
• A KPMG Australia partner was fined A$10,000 for using AI to cheat on an internal training test, highlighting growing concerns about AI misuse in professional exams, with over two dozen staff caught since July.
• Experts emphasize that effective AI regulation requires humility and continuous learning, while strong leadership is crucial for successful AI integration, empowering employees to question AI recommendations and ensuring accountability.

ByteDance AI video tool sparks Hollywood anger

ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, launched a new AI video generator called Seedance 2.0 on February 15, 2026. This tool, currently only available in China, creates high-quality videos from text prompts. Hollywood organizations like the Motion Picture Association and SAG-AFTRA strongly condemn Seedance 2.0. They claim it illegally uses copyrighted works and actors' likenesses and voices, harming American jobs and talent. Charles Rivkin, MPA chairman and CEO, demanded ByteDance cease its infringing activity. ByteDance stated it respects intellectual property and is working to improve safeguards.

Hollywood condemns ByteDance AI video tool

ByteDance's new AI video generator, Seedance 2.0, is causing a stir in Hollywood after its launch. This tool, available only in China, creates high-quality videos from simple text commands. The Motion Picture Association and actors union SAG-AFTRA strongly criticize it. They claim Seedance 2.0 uses copyrighted works and actors' voices and likenesses without permission, calling it a

ByteDance to curb AI video app after Disney threat

ByteDance plans to limit its AI video tool, Seedance, after Disney threatened legal action. Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter, claiming Seedance used a

ByteDance curbs AI video tool after Disney warning

ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, will curb its AI video tool, Seedance 2.0, following a legal threat from Disney. Disney reportedly sent a cease-and-desist letter, accusing Seedance of using a

ByteDance adds safeguards to AI tool after Hollywood outcry

ByteDance is quickly adding safeguards to its AI video tool, Seedance 2.0, after strong criticism from Hollywood. Disney and Paramount Skydance sent legal letters, accusing the tool of widely infringing on copyrights by using characters like Spider-Man and Darth Vader. Disney claimed ByteDance treated its characters like

Alibaba upgrades Qwen AI model for agent tasks

Alibaba has unveiled a major upgrade to its Qwen AI model, designed for AI agent tasks. The new Qwen can understand text, photos, and videos, even analyzing videos up to two hours long. Alibaba has invested over $53 billion in AI development, showing its strong commitment to the field. The company is also competing in a costly AI subsidy war with rivals like DeepSeek and ByteDance's Doubao. This upgrade aims to strengthen Alibaba's position in the AI market.

Alibaba launches Qwen3.5 AI model for complex tasks

Alibaba unveiled its new Qwen 3.5 artificial intelligence model on Monday, February 16. This model is designed to perform complex tasks independently, marking a step into the

Regulating AI needs humility and constant learning

Regulating artificial intelligence requires humility and a continuous learning approach. Generative AI is a new technology, and its long-term effects on human decision-making are still unknown. While AI has weaknesses like bias and hallucinations, human advice also has shortcomings. The key questions are what we aim to protect against and what we hope to achieve with AI regulation. Regulations are human-made and can be changed as we learn more. Therefore, a continuous process of observing, learning, and adjusting our approach to AI governance is crucial.

Cleveland Clinic teaches AI to detect seizures fast

Cleveland Clinic is training artificial intelligence to quickly read brain waves and detect seizures. This new AI technology can analyze 24 hours of brain wave data in seconds, a task that takes human specialists two hours. This is crucial for patients needing continuous monitoring in intensive care units, as quick detection helps alert medical teams and prevents longer ICU stays. Dr. Imad Najm explains that during a seizure, millions of brain neurons fire together, changing the normal

Aligned launches AI tool for B2B sales deals

Aligned has introduced its new AI Deal Workspace, a tool designed to improve B2B sales execution. This

Fake AI image of Jeffrey Epstein circulates

A fake image showing Jeffrey Epstein

KPMG partner fined for AI cheating on test

A partner at KPMG Australia was fined A$10,000 for using artificial intelligence to cheat on an internal AI training test. More than two dozen KPMG Australia staff have been caught using AI tools in exams since July. The company used its own AI detection tools to find the cheating. This incident highlights growing concerns about AI-fueled cheating within accountancy firms. KPMG's CEO, Andrew Yates, stated the firm is grappling with AI use in training and testing and is strengthening its approach to identify misuse.

Sutter Health adds AI to help doctors make decisions

Sutter Health is adding new AI-powered decision support technology to its electronic health record systems. This will allow doctors to quickly access updated care guidelines and studies using natural language searches within their Epic EHR. The health system partnered with OpenEvidence to create this evidence-based platform, aiming to improve patient care and safety. While traditional decision support has been helpful, research suggests that combining AI with existing systems could offer even greater benefits. Sutter Health believes this digital innovation will help build a more connected and sustainable healthcare system.

Alibaba Qwen team unveils powerful new AI model

Alibaba's Qwen team has released Qwen3.5, a new powerful language model designed for AI agents. The top version, Qwen3.5-397B-A17B, uses a Mixture-of-Experts system, activating only 17 billion parameters for speed while offering the intelligence of a 400 billion parameter model. This native vision-language model can understand, code, and reason across 201 languages, and analyze long videos with high accuracy. It also boasts an impressive 1 million token context length in its hosted version, allowing it to process vast amounts of information. Qwen3.5 shows strong performance in technical fields and agentic tasks.

Leadership not AI will decide success says expert

Donald Thompson, a contributor to WRAL TechWire, believes that strong leadership, not artificial intelligence, will ultimately determine success. He is attending Harvard to study how to integrate AI responsibly, focusing on the human element. Thompson emphasizes that organizations must empower employees to question AI recommendations to avoid damaging workplace culture and psychological safety. Leaders need to create an environment where people feel safe to contribute and innovate, even when AI influences decisions. He stresses the importance of leaders explaining AI-influenced choices clearly and taking accountability for outcomes.

Sources

• Hollywood blasts new AI threat
• Hollywood groups condemn ByteDance's AI video generator, claiming copyright infringement
• Seedance: ByteDance to to curb controversial AI app after Disney legal threat
• TikTok creator ByteDance vows to curb AI video tool after Disney threat
• ByteDance backpedals after Seedance 2.0 turned Hollywood icons into AI “clip art”
• Alibaba Unveils Major AI Model Upgrade Ahead of DeepSeek Release
• Alibaba unveils new Qwen3.5 model for 'agentic AI era'
• How to Regulate, or Not Regulate, AI
• Cleveland Clinic teaching artificial intelligence to read brain waves and detect seizures in seconds
• Aligned unveils AI Deal Workspace for B2B sales execution
• AI-generated image of Jeffrey Epstein ‘alive in Tel Aviv’ circulates online
• KPMG partner fined for using artificial intelligence to cheat in AI training test
• Sutter Health adds AI decision support to healthcare workflows
• Alibaba Qwen Team Releases Qwen3.5-397B MoE Model with 17B Active Parameters and 1M Token Context for AI agents
• Donald Thompson: AI won’t decide who wins, leadership will; I'm studying both at Harvard