TikTok Owner ByteDance Quietly Launched 4 Generative AI Apps Powered By OpenAI’s GPT
TLDRTikTok's parent company, ByteDance, has quietly released four generative AI apps outside of China, powered by OpenAI's GPT technology. The apps, known as CCI, Chit Chop, and Bagel Bell, have amassed millions of downloads in the past three months. These apps are built on bot creation platforms for entertainment and workplace efficiency, offering chatbots based on fictional characters and romantic companions, as well as bots to simplify work tasks. ByteDance has not disclosed its ownership in the apps' terms of service. The apps are part of ByteDance's strategy to compete in the generative AI space, following Facebook's and Snapchat's integration of AI chatbots. While only one of the apps is currently available in the US, and none in the EU, ByteDance's history of launching and discontinuing apps suggests a testing phase. There is potential for future scrutiny regarding data privacy and influence, given the trust users place in bots and the Chinese government's possible interest in ByteDance's operations.
Takeaways
- 🚀 ByteDance, TikTok's owner, has quietly released four new generative AI apps outside of China: CCI, Co, Chit Chop, and Bagel Bell.
- 📈 These apps have been launched in the past three months and have collectively garnered millions of downloads.
- 🤖 CCI and Chit Chop are bot creation platforms, allowing users to create and share chatbots.
- 📚 Bagel Bell generates the plot and text for fictional stories that adapt based on reader choices.
- 🔌 The apps utilize OpenAI's GPT technology through a Microsoft Azure license, rather than building their own large language models.
- 🤫 ByteDance's ownership of the apps is not mentioned on their websites or in their terms of service.
- 🏢 Three of the apps are operated by Spring SGPT LTD, a new ByteDance subsidiary, and one by Polygon PTE, another subsidiary.
- 🎭 CCI and Chit Chop focus on entertainment with bots based on fictional characters and romantic companions.
- 📈 Co is aimed at simplifying workplace tasks and is the most popular app with over 10 million downloads on the Google Play Store.
- 🤖 ByteDance's move into generative AI is part of a broader strategy to compete with other tech giants in this space.
- 🌎 Only one of the apps, Co, is currently available in the US, with none available in the EU.
- ❓ It remains unclear if or how these apps could be integrated with TikTok, but ByteDance has a history of launching and retiring apps based on their success.
Q & A
Which company has recently launched four generative AI apps?
-ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, has launched four generative AI apps.
What are the names of the four generative AI apps launched by ByteDance?
-The names of the four AI apps are CCI, Chit Chop, Co, and Bagel Bell.
How many downloads do the apps collectively have?
-The apps collectively have millions of downloads.
What technology do these apps rely on?
-The apps rely on OpenAI's GPT technology, accessed through a Microsoft Azure license.
Which subsidiary of ByteDance is running three of the AI apps?
-Three of the AI apps are run by Spring SGPT LTD, a new ByteDance subsidiary.
What is the focus of the CCI and Chit Chop apps?
-CCI and Chit Chop are largely focused on entertainment, offering bots based on fictional characters and romantic companions.
Which app is the most popular with over 10 million downloads?
-CC is the most popular app with more than 10 million downloads according to the Google Play Store.
What is ByteDance's strategy regarding the generative AI space?
-ByteDance is working to take on its competitors in the generative AI space with the launch of AI tools for short-form videos and reported attempts to build an AI image generator.
What is the current availability of the apps in the US and EU?
-Only one of the apps, Co, is currently available in the US, and none are available in the EU.
What is ByteDance's history with launching and deprecating apps?
-ByteDance has a history of launching test apps and then discontinuing those that do not gain traction, such as a trivia app, a funny GIF app, and a news aggregator app.
What concerns do regulators have regarding ByteDance's apps?
-Regulators are concerned that the Chinese government could potentially influence ByteDance employees to collect private information about foreigners or use the company's control over user data to disseminate pro-China messages.
Why are bots considered a potentially rich source of valuable data?
-Bots are considered a potentially rich source of valuable data because people often trust them with sensitive personal information, and their inability to explain their responses makes them a potentially effective conduit for covert influence.
Outlines
🚀 TikTok Owner ByteDance Launches Generative AI Apps
ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, has quietly launched four generative AI apps outside of China named CCI, Chit Chop, and Bagel Bell. These apps, launched in the past three months, have amassed millions of downloads. They rely on Open AI's GPT technology via a Microsoft Azure license. Three of the apps are operated by a new ByteDance subsidiary, Spring SGPT LTD, and the fourth by Polygon PTE, another ByteDance subsidiary. The apps are focused on entertainment and workplace efficiency, with one, CCI, being particularly popular with over 10 million downloads. This initiative is part of ByteDance's efforts to compete in the generative AI space, alongside other tech giants like Facebook, Snap, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. Only one of the apps, Co, is currently available in the US, with none in the EU. ByteDance's spokesperson, Jod Seth, mentioned that the apps are still in the testing phase and declined to share further details. There are concerns from regulators about potential misuse of user data and influence by the Chinese government.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡ByteDance
💡Generative AI Apps
💡OpenAI’s GPT
💡Microsoft Azure
💡Spring sgpt LTD
💡Polygon Pte
💡CCI, Chit Chop, and Bagel Bell
💡Chat Bots
💡Generative AI in the Workplace
💡Google Play Store
💡Regulatory Scrutiny
Highlights
ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, has quietly launched four generative AI apps outside of China.
The apps are named CCI, Chit Chop, and Bagel Bell, and have collectively garnered millions of downloads.
CCI and Chit Chop are bot creation platforms for users to make and share chat bots.
Bagel Bell generates plots and text for fictional stories that adapt based on reader choices.
The apps utilize OpenAI's GPT technology through a Microsoft Azure license.
ByteDance did not build the underlying language models; they rely on OpenAI's GPT.
There is no mention of ByteDance's ownership on the apps' websites or terms of service.
Three of the apps are run by Spring SGPT LTD, a new ByteDance subsidiary.
The fourth app is run by Polygon Pte, a ByteDance subsidiary known for publishing web novels and video games.
CCI and Chit Chop focus on entertainment with bots based on fictional characters and romantic companions.
Co provides bots intended to simplify workplace tasks.
CC is the most popular app with over 10 million downloads according to the Google Play Store.
ByteDance's launch of AI tools and reported attempts to build an AI image generator indicate a competitive move in generative AI.
Tech giants like Facebook, Snap, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are all developing their own generative AI offerings.
Only one of ByteDance's new apps, Co, is currently available in the US, with none available in the EU.
It's common for tech companies to test products in smaller markets before expanding to larger ones like the US and EU.
ByteDance spokesperson, Jod Seth, described the apps as still in the testing phase.
There are concerns that the Chinese government could influence ByteDance to collect private information or propagate pro-China messages.
Bots are trusted with sensitive information, making them a potential source of valuable data.
ByteDance's history includes launching and deprecating various test apps before establishing TikTok.
ByteDance continues to expand its offerings worldwide, including competitors to WhatsApp, Spotify, and Twitter.
The generative AI apps could inspire future scrutiny from regulators regarding data privacy and potential covert influence.