Mystery AI model Ox Alpha draws developers with free access

A mysterious AI model called Ox Alpha, available free on OpenRouter with a one million-token context window and multimodal input, is gaining traction among developers, though its creator remains unknown. Speculation points to China, where companies like Moonshot AI and Alibaba have recently released models. Stripe CEO Patrick Collison called it 'very impressive' on X.

Mystery AI model Ox Alpha draws developers with free access The unusual debut has triggered a guessing game, with some online speculation pointing to China A NEW artificial intelligence model called Ox Alpha is gaining traction among developers after appearing online for free, even as the identity of its creator remains a mystery. The model appeared on AI marketplace OpenRouter last week under the label “stealth model”. Ox Alpha offers a roughly one million-token context window that can process text, image and video input, according to OpenRouter. The unusual debut has triggered a guessing game among AI developers over who may be behind the model. Some online speculation has pointed to China, where companies have recently rolled out increasingly capable models, including Moonshot AI’s Kimi K3 https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/startups-tech/technology/chinas-moonshot-release-breakthrough-kimi-k3-ai-model-download and Alibaba Group’s latest Qwen models https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/telcos-media-tech/alibabas-qwen-hits-3-billion-downloads-outpacing-china-and-us-ai-rivals . A growing number of companies from ByteDance to Sea and Alibaba have this year launched models without initially claiming credit for those platforms. By not publicising their origins from the start, tech companies may be aiming to test the waters for new-fangled services and initiatives, affording these projects more freedom to experiment. Ox Alpha is available free with near-unlimited usage for a week, according to OpenCode, helping fuel a surge in experimentation among developers. Stripe chief executive officer Patrick Collison described it in a post on X as “very impressive”, while users have shared reviews on YouTube and Reddit. BLOOMBERG Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free. Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services TRENDING NOW /pulse?ref=trending-now Malaysia rules out US$1.9 billion takeover of passport supplier Laos-China Railway picks up steam, but S-E Asian country struggles to capture gains E-commerce is killing ‘real’ commerce, says China’s beverage king Zhong Shanshan MedPark’s assistant CEO runs a hospital where patients, physicians precede profits