⚡ ByteDance’s AI Gains Traction

AI chatbot Doubao of the TikTok parent firm (ByteDance) has surpassed its competitor, Baidu's Ernie Bot, in annual iOS downloads (9 million vs. 8 million). This milestone was achieved in less than nine months after the project's launch.

Additionally, Doubao has about 4 million active iOS users monthly. According to the company, this figure rises to 26 million across all platforms, including PCs. Despite these significant achievements, ByteDance and Baidu continue to focus on investing in external AI startups.

The companies offer paid subscriptions for enhanced versions of their language models, yet they see very little revenue from these services. For example, Ernie Bot generated only about $500,000 in sales over its first full year. As a result, both companies prioritize external investments and advertising efforts.

Recently, Sony Music issued over 700 warning letters to AI developers, including those working on text and music models, effectively prohibiting the use of songs from its artists without proper compensation.