Since the launch of ChatGPT a year ago, demand for generative AI services have boomed. This demand started a race for tech giants on who can offer the best AI product. One of these tech giants is ByteDance, which is planning to launch a public AI development platform.
ByteDance dives into generative AI
ByteDance, the company that owns the popular app TikTok, is entering the race of generative AI. The company aims to explore the possibilities in this rapidly evolving industry. This move positions ByteDance in direct competition with other tech giants such as OpenAI, Google, Meta and more.
The company’s strategic vision unfolds as the company unveils plans for a “bot development platform.” This allows users to craft their own AI models. The company plans to launch the public beta of this platform by the end of the month.
Navigating competition in the Chinese market
According to a ByteDance companywide notice, this move will let them follow their new strategic vision, which is to “explore new generative AI products and how they can integrate with the existing ones.”
Aside from competing against tech giants in the West, ByteDance will also have to compete against Chinese giants, such as Baidu and Alibaba. In March, Baidu released a ChatGPT rival called Ernie Bot. On the other hand, Alibaba released an AI platform called Bailian in October that works on customized large language models.
Taking the step forward into AI
ByteDance has already tested the AI waters. Back in May 2023, TikTok was testing a product called Tako, which would provide AI-powered answers to users’ questions and give video recommendations. Then in August 2023, the company has been working on an AI chatbot named “Grace.” It was a big step for the company, but a report from South China Morning Post stated that the service received “lukewarm” reception from internal employees. This indicates that while the general consensus was positive, there was still work to be done.
As generative AI takes center stage in 2024, ByteDance venturing into generative AI marks a significant step in the company’s evolution.