Doubao

Chinese AI start-up MiniMax releases low-cost open-source models that rival top chatbots

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Chinese AI start-up MiniMax releases low-cost open-source models that rival top chatbots

Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up MiniMax has launched a new series of open-source models, intensifying the competition among mainland technology firms to deliver cost-effective AI systems that can rival top offerings from US competitors. The Shanghai-based company on Tuesday unveiled the MiniMax-01 large language model (LLM) family, which includes a general-purpose foundational model, the MiniMax-Text-01, … Read more

Baidu founder Robin Li predicts ‘exponential’ boom in AI apps in 2025

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Baidu founder Robin Li predicts ‘exponential’ boom in AI apps in 2025

The founder of Baidu, an artificial-intelligence (AI) pioneer in China that unveiled its own large language model (LLM) just months after OpenAI released ChatGPT, said AI applications would grow “exponentially” in 2025. Baidu’s investments in AI are expected to generate returns this year, according to Robin Li Yanhong, CEO of China’s largest search-engine operator, in … Read more

ByteDance leads China’s Big Tech sector in capital spending with US$11 billion for 2024

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ByteDance leads China’s Big Tech sector in capital spending with US billion for 2024

TikTok owner ByteDance was China’s biggest investor in technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) in 2024, with its outlay almost matching the combined spending of rivals Baidu, Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings, according to new research. Beijing-based ByteDance, founded by Chinese entrepreneur Zhang Yiming, invested an estimated 80 billion yuan (US$11 billion) on capital expenditure … Read more

Chinese start-up Zhipu AI raises US$412 million in new funding amid crowded market

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Chinese start-up Zhipu AI raises US2 million in new funding amid crowded market

China’s artificial intelligence (AI) start-up Zhipu AI said on Tuesday that it has raised 3 billion yuan (US$412 million) in a new funding round, beefing up the firm’s war chest as it braces for stiffer competition in the market. The new financing adds to a funding spree that has seen Zhipu secure four investment rounds … Read more

Alibaba splits AI team to sharpen consumer and business focus

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Alibaba splits AI team to sharpen consumer and business focus

Alibaba Group Holding has separated the team in charge of developing applications for its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Tongyi Qianwen from the team that builds its large language model (LLM), in a bid to better serve the consumer-facing market, according to Chinese tech media outlet 36Kr. The AI chatbot team will transition to the Intelligent … Read more

TikTok parent ByteDance intensifies China AI rivalry with 85% price cut for visual model

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TikTok parent ByteDance intensifies China AI rivalry with 85% price cut for visual model

TikTok parent ByteDance has turned up the heat in the Chinese generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) market by slashing the price of a new AI model with “visual understanding” capabilities and launching a slew of product updates. The new model, part of the company’s popular Doubao family, was introduced at 0.003 yuan (US$0.00041) per thousand token … Read more

TikTok owner ByteDance wins outstanding research award at annual ‘Olympics of AI’

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TikTok owner ByteDance wins outstanding research award at annual ‘Olympics of AI’

The AI paper, “Visual Autoregressive Modelling: Scalable Image Generation via Next-Scale Prediction”, examined a unique approach to generating images at a faster speed with better quality and scalability. The award is expected to be given at the conference in Vancouver, Canada, from December 10 to 15. It was one of the more than 50 research … Read more

China’s ByteDance, Alibaba, Tencent seek fresh talent at ‘Olympics of AI’

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China’s ByteDance, Alibaba, Tencent seek fresh talent at ‘Olympics of AI’

At NeurIPS to be held in Vancouver, Canada, from December 10 to 15, TikTok parent ByteDance, Alibaba advertising unit Alimama and video-gaming giant Tencent are set to host various events on the sidelines of the conference, according to company notices. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. By 2030, demand in China for professionals skilled … Read more

ByteDance seeks US$1.1 million in damages from ex-intern who sabotaged AI project

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ByteDance seeks US.1 million in damages from ex-intern who sabotaged AI project

ByteDance, the owner of TikTok and Douyin, filed a lawsuit against a former intern, accusing him of tampering with code and sabotaging an artificial intelligence (AI) training project and demanding 8 million yuan (US$1.1 million) in compensation as well as a public apology, according to a local media report. The case has already been accepted … Read more

China’s ‘AI Tiger’ Zhipu in race to bring enhanced features to video-generation apps

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China’s ‘AI Tiger’ Zhipu in race to bring enhanced features to video-generation apps

China’s state-backed unicorn Zhipu AI has introduced a series of artificial intelligence (AI) features to its video tool Ying, in a heated race with other start-ups and Big Tech companies to woo users in a growing market for AI-assisted video creation tools. After the updates, Ying will be able to generate 4K high-definition video clips … Read more