Xiaomi has officially entered China’s growing artificial intelligence race by launching its first open-source AI model. The model, called MiMo, is designed to work like the human brain. Xiaomi shared performance test results that show MiMo outperforms smaller models from OpenAI and Alibaba. However, these results have not been confirmed by outside sources.
The company made the announcement just one day after Alibaba introduced its new AI model. This marks a growing competition among Chinese tech companies. These companies are working fast to keep up with global AI trends and gain support from the Chinese government.
MiMo is Xiaomi’s latest step in building smart technology that can understand and solve problems like a human.
Xiaomi Enters the AI Arena
MiMo is Xiaomi’s first major product from its new AI model team. The company said it believes in the long-term value of building artificial general intelligence (AGI). AGI refers to machines that can think and learn at the same level as humans.
Xiaomi introduced MiMo through a post on WeChat. In the post, the company said, “While 2025 may seem late to start building large models, we believe AGI is a long-term dream worth chasing.”
The MiMo model is similar to DeepSeek’s R1, a low-cost AI model that surprised the tech world earlier this year. R1 showed that smaller AI tools can still perform well. This caused a surge of interest among other Chinese companies, including Alibaba and now Xiaomi.
A Big Move After EV Expansion
Xiaomi is best known for its low-cost smartphones. In recent years, the company has also made big moves in electric vehicles (EVs). In 2024, Xiaomi announced a $10 billion plan to build EVs. This project was led by company founder Lei Jun. He called it his “final startup dream.”
Xiaomi’s first electric SUV, the YU7, was delayed after a fatal crash involving one of its cars. This setback hurt the company’s reputation and caused its stock to fall by about 15% in March. Despite this, Xiaomi said the YU7 is still expected to launch in June or July.
The MiMo launch now signals a new focus. Xiaomi is aiming to join the top tech players in AI while continuing its EV efforts.
Beijing Supports Local AI Growth
Xiaomi’s stock jumped more than 5% in Hong Kong after the MiMo announcement. Other Chinese AI stocks also rose. This followed state media coverage of President Xi Jinping visiting a local AI startup center. His visit shows Beijing’s strong support for homegrown tech that can rival U.S. companies.
The Chinese government has made AI a national priority. It wants Chinese companies to reduce their dependence on foreign tech and grow local innovation. This support has helped companies like DeepSeek, Alibaba, and now Xiaomi push their own AI models to the public.
What Makes MiMo Special?
According to Xiaomi, the MiMo model can understand complex tasks and respond with logical answers. This process is known as “reasoning.” It is a key part of AGI, where machines don’t just give answers but think through the problem like a human.
Xiaomi released benchmark test results showing that MiMo beat OpenAI’s o1-mini and Alibaba’s Qwen in several key areas. However, Bloomberg News has not yet confirmed these results.
Still, Xiaomi’s move shows the company is serious about becoming a key AI player. It is building a strong team and setting long-term goals for advanced technology development.
Xiaomi’s AI Future
This is not the first time Xiaomi has talked about AI. Company leaders have often mentioned investing in AI tools. But MiMo is the first real product to come out of these plans.
The company may now shift more of its focus to AI, especially as the global market for smart tools and models grows. Xiaomi’s entry into the AI race also comes at a time when more tech companies are looking to create tools that are cheaper, faster, and better than what the U.S. currently offers.
As Xiaomi balances its work in smartphones, EVs, and now AI, the company is shaping itself into a broader tech leader. MiMo could be the first of many new tools aimed at making AI more available and useful.
