ByteDance's Doubao is China's newest AI chatbot sensation
ByteDance, the Beijing-based parent company of TikTok, has outpaced Baidu Inc. in the race for China's most popular artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. Sensor Tower data reveals that ByteDance's AI chatbot, Doubao, launched in August, surpassed Baidu's Ernie Bot in terms of downloads last year, and now it has more regular monthly users on iOS in China. Despite Ernie Bot's initial rapid growth, ByteDance now leads the pack with other competitors also making strides.
ByteDance prioritizes AI advancements, Doubao leads downloads
ByteDance, under the leadership of co-founder and CEO Liang Rubo, has emphasized the importance of advancements in AI technology. The company's urgency to innovate is reflected in its global recognition through short-video services TikTok and Douyin. Sensor Tower data indicates that Doubao was the most downloaded AI chatbot on Apple's iOS with nearly nine million downloads till April, surpassing Ernie's eight million downloads.
Doubao boasts 26 million monthly active users
Doubao also leads in monthly active users, exceeding four million on iOS alone. The research does not include Android mobile app stores but does underscore a broader trend within the Chinese market. ByteDance recently announced that Doubao now boasts 26 million monthly active users across mobile and PC platforms. This figure stands in comparison to OpenAI's ChatGPT mobile app which has 6.7 million monthly users in the US, according to Similarweb data.
Tech giants invest heavily in generative AI technology
Chinese tech giants like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd., along with Silicon Valley companies like Microsoft, Meta, and Google, are investing heavily in generative AI technology. They are developing their own foundational models and investing hundreds of millions of dollars into emerging companies such as Baichuan and Zhipu AI. The burgeoning AI services sector in China includes young startups like Beijing-based Moonshot AI with its Kimi bot, indicating a vibrant competitive landscape.
