By Tracy Qu
Alibaba Group's new artificial intelligence video-generation tool has taken the top spot in a global leaderboard that tracks AI models' abilities, a sign of Chinese firms' growing competitiveness in an area of AI used in advertising, content creation and entertainment.
The model, called HappyHorse 1.0, has ranked No. 1 on third-party website Artificial Analysis' text-to-video leaderboard since it was released earlier this month.
But its provenance had been a mystery, and Alibaba didn't reveal itself as the developer until Friday.
HappyHorse "is currently under internal beta test and we are expecting to launch API access for the model in the near future," said a spokesperson at Token Hub, Alibaba's newly created AI-focused unit.
Developers usually use an API key, which works like a password, to access AI models.
Alibaba's move comes after TikTok parent ByteDance released Seedance 2.0, its video-generation model, earlier this year as Chinese internet companies vie to capture early demand in AI video.
The Hangzhou-based company also invested in AI video start-ups, such as ShengShu Technology, the Chinese firm behind popular video-generation model Vidu.
"The recent launch of Happy Horse (text to video) is a success," Jefferies analysts said in a research note this week.
Write to Tracy Qu at tracy.qu@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
By Tracy Qu
Alibaba Group's new artificial-intelligence video-generation tool is leading a global ranking that tracks AI models' abilities, signaling Chinese companies' growing competitiveness in technology used in advertising, content creation and entertainment.
The model, called HappyHorse 1.0, has ranked No. 1 on third-party website Artificial Analysis' text-to-video leaderboard since it was released earlier this month.
But its provenance had been a mystery, and Alibaba didn't reveal itself as the developer until Friday.
HappyHorse "is currently under internal beta test and we are expecting to launch API access for the model in the near future," said a spokesperson at Token Hub, Alibaba's newly created AI-focused unit.
Developers usually use an API key, or application programming interface key, which works like a password, to access AI models.
Alibaba's move comes after TikTok parent ByteDance released Seedance 2.0, its video-generation model, earlier this year as Chinese internet companies vie to capture early demand in AI video. Industry insiders previously praised Seedance 2.0 for its strong camera-movement control and automatic shot planning ability.
Chinese AI video players now dominate the top of Artificial Analysis' leaderboard, after OpenAI discontinued its Sora video platform app and other video functionalities last month, as part of a strategic shift.
Current video models still face major limits: most can only generate clips of up to 15 seconds, and companies are still working to improve consistency across frames, scenes and character motion.
Alibaba is also investing in AI video start-ups, reflecting a typical big-tech approach of building models internally while backing external players. It recently invested in ShengShu Technology, the Chinese firm behind popular video-generation model Vidu.
"Despite limited information on its capabilities, HappyHorse's high ranking suggests its video effects can match or even exceed those of mainstream models," Citi analysts said in a research note. Its future competitiveness will depend on pricing, computing resource requirements, and update frequency, the analysts said.
The new launch "signals intensifying competition in the AI video generation industry, even as established models like Kling [by Kuaishou] retain advantages in cinematic quality and user base," Citi said.
Write to Tracy Qu at tracy.qu@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 10, 2026 05:34 ET (09:34 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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