ByteDance is set to launch a chatbot-building service to rival OpenAI, as reported by the South China Morning Post. The company plans to roll out a platform that will enable users to create their own chatbots, similar to the customizable versions of ChatGPT that OpenAI recently unveiled. ByteDance is also reportedly planning to release the “bot development platform” as a public beta by the end of the month.
According to a company-wide memo seen by the South China Morning Post, the new platform will allow ByteDance to “explore new generative AI products and how they can integrate with the existing ones.” This move comes after OpenAI announced an update allowing users to create customizable versions of ChatGPT for specialized tasks such as coding, tech support, and creative writing.
ByteDance’s push into AI also pits it against local rivals like Baidu, which launched its own Ernie AI bot and claimed it was “not inferior in any respect” to OpenAI’s GPT-4. ByteDance’s focus on AI comes in the midst of growing calls for its popular product, TikTok, to be banned in the US over national security concerns.
The company is also building its own image-generating tool, and it has been reported that its chatbot Doubao, launched in August, has already received approval from Chinese regulators who have stringent rules around the development of AI applications.
Despite the rapid developments in this area, OpenAI’s plans to allow developers to sell their “GPTs” through a “GPT store” have been delayed until next year. Also, ByteDance did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider outside normal working hours.
As ByteDance gears up to compete with OpenAI and other tech giants, the AI arms race continues to heat up, with the boundaries of innovation and progress being pushed ever further.
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