Alibaba's ModelScope and MoArk Compete in China's AI Model Hosting Market

Alibaba (Alibaba) launched its open-source model platform ModelScope in 2022, while OSChina (OSChina) introduced MoArk in 2023 to serve Chinese developers following the 2023 blocking of Hugging Face. ModelScope currently hosts over 170,000 models with 250 million users, while MoArk hosts approximately 20,000 models. OSChina CEO Xu Yong stated that the platform aims to build an autonomous AI ecosystem for Chinese users, including ensuring compatibility with domestic chips. Meanwhile, Nvidia's proposed $12.9 billion acquisition of New York-based Hugging Face faces potential regulatory scrutiny regarding the hosting of Chinese models.