TL;DR:
- ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, regrets not prioritizing AI development earlier despite its app market dominance.
- Liang Rubo, ByteDance’s co-founder, expressed concerns about the company’s late entry into the AI landscape, potentially risking mediocrity.
- ByteDance had been discreetly using OpenAI’s software to develop its own language model, leading to account suspension.
- Rapid expansion hindered ByteDance’s innovation, as internal bureaucracy slowed down projects that could thrive in smaller startups.
- Liang noted that advanced AI companies like OpenAI, Google’s DeepMind, Microsoft, and Meta forged their path between 2018 and 2021.
- ByteDance launched Coze, a chatbot platform similar to OpenAI’s, in China, capitalizing on OpenAI’s withdrawal from the country due to political tensions.
- ByteDance’s late entry into AI may be offset by its efforts to catch up, exemplified by its GPT-like model.
Main AI News:
In the world of tech giants, even the most dominant players can’t escape the remorse of missed opportunities. Such is the case for Liang Rubo, the co-founder of ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, as he recently expressed his frustration during a company-wide meeting that spanned the globe. Despite TikTok’s unrivaled dominance in the app market, Liang lamented that the company had failed to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) at an earlier juncture, potentially jeopardizing its future.
ByteDance’s journey into the realm of AI, or rather the lack thereof, has left Liang concerned about the consequences. He candidly admitted that the company had not been sufficiently attuned to the burgeoning AI landscape as it evolved into the disruptive force it is today. The repercussions of this oversight, Liang warned, could lead the company down the path of mediocrity.
“Our company is not sensitive enough (to new technologies),” Liang conveyed, as per Reuters’ translation of his remarks. “For example, discussions about [OpenAI’s] GPT did not appear in our half-year tech review until 2023, although GPT-1 was already released in 2018.”
Despite this late entry into the AI arena, ByteDance did not shy away from taking bold steps. In a revelation that sent ripples through the tech world, The Verge disclosed that ByteDance had clandestinely utilized OpenAI’s software to develop its own substantial language model (LLM). ByteDance, however, defended its actions, asserting the legitimacy of its usage. Nevertheless, OpenAI responded by suspending ByteDance’s account, pending an investigation into the matter.
Liang Rubo went on to underscore how the company’s rapid growth over recent years had inadvertently hindered its capacity for innovation. Internal bureaucratic red tape, often characteristic of larger organizations, slowed down projects that could have progressed more swiftly within the nimble framework of a startup.
“For many innovative startup teams, they possess an innate familiarity with their respective industries,” observed the ByteDance owner. “They can swiftly identify emerging projects on platforms like GitHub, and promptly seek acquisition or collaboration opportunities.“
Liang also drew attention to the fact that several companies had diligently cultivated their LLMs between 2018 and 2021, although he did not explicitly name any specific firms. However, one cannot help but consider prominent names like OpenAI, Google’s DeepMind, Microsoft, and Meta (formerly Facebook) when assessing this timeline.
ByteDance did make strides in the AI domain, notably with the release of Coze, a platform akin to OpenAI’s custom chatbot market, in China. In addition to the controversy surrounding the alleged use of OpenAI’s code, this move took on added significance since OpenAI had officially withdrawn its services from China due to political tensions the previous summer.
In the grand scheme of AI advancements, ByteDance may have been a late bloomer, but it appears to be making up for lost time. Launching its own version of GPTs is no small feat. It’s possible that Liang Rubo is employing a Steve Jobs-style approach, imparting tough love to motivate his vast workforce of 110,000 employees and steer ByteDance further into the realm of AI innovation.
Conclusion:
ByteDance’s delayed foray into AI serves as a reminder that even industry leaders can miss crucial technology trends. It underscores the importance of agility and proactive adaptation in the fiercely competitive tech market. ByteDance’s willingness to embrace AI innovation now suggests a potential resurgence and the ability to stay relevant in this rapidly evolving landscape.
