01What Qwen3.8 Max Is and How It Works
Qwen3.8 Max is Alibaba's newest AI model, released on July 19th. It has 2.4 trillion parameters, which are like tiny knobs inside the model's brain. More knobs mean it can learn more patterns and handle harder problems.
Alibaba claims it is one of the strongest AI systems today, trailing only Anthropic's Claude Fable 5.
The model uses a sparse mixture of experts design. Think of it as a huge hospital with specialist doctors. When you walk in with a problem, only the two or three doctors who know your case get called.
The hospital doesn't wake up every doctor. This model has trillions of parameters, but it only activates a small slice for each task. That keeps it big without being painfully slow.
This is Alibaba's first model over 1 trillion parameters that handles more than text. It can read images, watch video, and go through documents. It was built for coding and long multi-step office work, which Alibaba calls professional co-work.
02Main Features and What's New in Qwen3.8 Max
Qwen3.8 Max is a preview release, but several features stand out. First, its size: 2.4 trillion parameters makes it one of the largest models available. Second, the sparse mixture of experts design means it activates only a small slice of parameters per task.
This allows it to be huge without being slow.
Third, it is multimodal. It can handle text, images, video, and documents. That is a big step for Alibaba.
Fourth, it is built for professional co-work, meaning it can sit with you through a long task, not just answer one question.
The model is especially strong at two things: coding and long multi-step office work. Alibaba hasn't shown full proof yet—no benchmark table, no model card, and no outside testers have run checks. But the preview is live, so you can test it now.
This model is also part of a race. Just two days before its release, Moonshot AI released Kimi K3 with 2.8 trillion parameters. Alibaba owns a big chunk of Moonshot AI, so this feels like a race between two labs.
03How to Get Started with Qwen3.8 Max
Getting started with Qwen3.8 Max is simple. The preview is already live, and you can access it through a few methods. Here are the steps:
- Go to Alibaba's token plan and sign up for access to Qwen3.8 Max.
- Alternatively, use one of Alibaba's coding tools, Coda or Codawork, which have the model integrated.
- Once you have access, start with a simple task like writing copy or answering questions.
- Give the model a clear job, a clear voice, and a clear limit like word count or tone.
- Test it on real tasks you do every day, like landing pages or content calendars.
Remember, the model is a preview, so full benchmarks and the open weight release haven't landed yet. But you can still use it for practical work.
When you start, don't just stare at a blank screen. Use the examples from this episode to guide your prompts. The skill is knowing how to talk to it so it gives you something useful on the first try.
04How to Use Qwen3.8 Max with Real Examples
In this episode, Julian tested Qwen3.8 Max on three real tasks for his business. First, he used it for a landing page. He gave a prompt asking for landing page copy for the AI Profit Boardroom, including a headline, three benefit bullet points about saving time and getting more leads, a trust-building line, and a call to action.
The model returned a clean headline, sharp benefits, and a call to action ready to hand to a designer.
Second, he asked for a 14-day content calendar for YouTube and Instagram. The prompt included a topic, a hook line, and a call to action for each day. In under a minute, the model gave a full calendar with headlines, hooks, and calls to action for every post.
Third, he used it for member support. He gave five common questions from people thinking about joining the community and asked for friendly replies under 50 words, with a warm but confident tone, ending with an invite to join. The model returned five ready-to-send replies.
The pattern is clear: give the model a clear job, a clear voice, and a clear limit. It gives something you can use immediately. That's the actual skill worth learning.
05Results and Comparisons: Qwen3.8 Max vs. Others
Alibaba hasn't released full benchmarks for Qwen3.8 Max yet, but the episode gives some context. The previous flagship, Qwen 3.7-Max, scored 92.4% on the GPQA Diamond science test and 80.4% on SWE-Bench Verified, which tests coding problem fixing. Qwen3.8 Max is supposed to beat all of that.
Alibaba claims Qwen3.8 Max trails only Claude Fable 5 in the world. That's a bold claim without full proof. The model also competes with Kimi K3 from Moonshot AI, which has 2.8 trillion parameters and is fully open weight.
In the episode's tests, Qwen3.8 Max performed well on practical tasks like landing page copy, content calendars, and support replies. It completed each task in under a minute. These are real examples of how the model can save hours of work.
Julian notes that a year ago, models this size barely existed outside research labs. Now Alibaba is shipping something with 2.4 trillion parameters as a live product.
06Tips, Limits, and Mistakes to Avoid with Qwen3.8 Max
Qwen3.8 Max is powerful, but you need to use it right. First, give the model a clear job, a clear voice, and a clear limit like word count or tone. That makes it useful on the first try.
Don't just type a vague prompt and expect gold.
Second, avoid getting stuck staring at a blank screen. Use real tasks from your business, like landing pages or customer replies. Test one real task and build a habit around it.
Third, remember the limits. The model is a preview, so full benchmarks aren't out yet. The license isn't confirmed, and the open weight release hasn't landed.
Don't rely on it for critical decisions yet.
Fourth, don't pick the biggest model every time. The skill is knowing which tool fits which job. Take practice to get right.
Finally, don't wait months to learn new models. The businesses that win are the ones that test and build habits early.
07Who Qwen3.8 Max Is For and Why It Matters
Qwen3.8 Max is for business owners, agencies, and side project builders who want to use AI for real work. Julian showed how it can help with landing pages, content calendars, and customer support replies. These are tasks that used to eat up an afternoon.
The model matters because it shows how fast AI is moving. A year ago, models this size barely existed outside research labs. Now Alibaba is shipping one as a live product.
That means businesses can use it today for practical work.
Julian also emphasizes that the model is built for long multi-step office work, which he calls professional co-work. That's a shift from one-question AI to an AI that sits with you through a task.
If you want to grow your business with AI automation, Qwen3.8 Max is a tool worth testing. But you need a plan behind it, not just a tool. That's where skills and playbooks come in.
