WIRED Predicts Shift from GPT-5 to Qwen in 2026
According to WIRED, the artificial intelligence industry may see a significant shift in 2026, with the Chinese AI model Qwen potentially overshadowing GPT-5 in prominence.
The article notes the rapid pace of change in the AI chatbot space, stating that “chatbots and GPTs come and go quickly,” and references Meta’s Llama as an example of how quickly models can fade from the spotlight. According to WIRED, while “GPT-5 had a big year,” the publication predicts that “2026 will be all about Qwen.”
The piece appears to be part of WIRED’s forward-looking analysis of AI trends, though the article does not provide specific details about Qwen’s capabilities, development timeline, or what factors might drive its predicted prominence over competing models like GPT-5.
Qwen is an AI model developed by Alibaba’s research division. The prediction suggests a potential shift in the competitive dynamics of the AI industry, which has been largely dominated by American companies like OpenAI, though the source material does not elaborate on the reasoning behind this forecast.