TOPIC

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ByteDance

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ByteDance

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ByteDance is best known as the owner of the global short-video and shopping platform TikTok. It also operates the similar Douyin app in China. Both apps have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, especially among younger people. ByteDance has been the focus of strained relations between China and the West, with policymakers in the US, Canada and Europe expressing concern that TikTok's Chinese ownership puts sensitive user data within reach of the Chinese government.

Chairman / President

Rubo Liang

CEO / Managing Director

Zhang Yiming

CFO / Finance Director

Julie Gao

Industry

IT / Tech / Telecoms

Website

bytedance.com

Headquarters address

Haidian, Beijing, China

Year founded

2012

ByteDance

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ByteDance raises pay, boosts bonuses to retain staff amid AI talent war

The TikTok owner has announced higher bonuses, wider pay bands and faster equity payouts as it seeks to stay competitive in the global talent race.

TikTok seals US deal but core algorithm could still rattle ties with China

TikTok deal, China slowdown, Vanke debt deadline

TikTok reaches deal on new US venture with American investor group

The deal was signed on Thursday, with the landmark move ending years of legal and political uncertainty.

ByteDance AI model usage grows over tenfold on strong demand from Chinese firms

‘AI is being adopted at an unprecedented speed,’ Tan Dai, president at cloud unit Volcano Engine, says.

ByteDance pushes frequent updates to Doubao AI as privacy concerns persist

Strong demand for Doubao AI phone eclipses concerns its agent-like functions pose a security risk.

Tencent shakes up AI operations, names recent recruit as chief AI scientist

Vinces Yao Shunyu now serves as chief AI scientist under the CEO’s office, reporting directly to Tencent president Martin Lau.

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Beijing seems determined to take up the challenge of building most parts of the AI supply chain domestically.

China fintech giant Ant upgrades AI health app to tap eldercare, wellness demand

App AQ integrates Apple and Huawei devices, adds family health profiles and smart reminders to boost user engagement.

ByteDance dominates China’s tech hiring as AI talent demand surges

ByteDance tops rivals Meituan and Alibaba in recruitments this year, according to professional social networking platform Maimai.

Power and data centres will put China ahead of US in the AI race, says investor

AI is now a race to build data centres and secure electricity, says investor Allen Zhu, who argues China’s energy push puts it ahead.

Alibaba creates new unit to push consumer use of its Qwen AI models

Significant organisational change underlines company’s determination to turn the Qwen chatbot into a ‘super app’.

Z.ai open sources AI agent tool for phones after ByteDance privacy backlash

Beijing-based Z.ai said its work in ‘teaching AI how to use a smartphone’ dates back to early 2023.

‘Follow me’: UK’s Starmer launches TikTok account despite security ban

Prime minister’s office insists ‘security mitigations’ are in place as he turns to the popular Chinese-owned app for greater outreach.

ByteDance’s agentic AI smartphone dials up a digital backlash by China’s top apps

ByteDance’s new AI smartphone has run into resistance, as major Chinese platforms move to block its features citing fairness and security.

How China’s solopreneurs are using AI to crack a tough job market

Armed with a variety of AI tools, a new breed of young entrepreneurs forges a path in a challenging economy.

Why China sees Brazil as ‘last untapped blue ocean market’ for investment boom

Chinese investment in Brazil is soaring as firms eye the vast potential growth in South America’s ‘blue ocean market’.

TikTok to invest more than US$37 billion in Brazil data centre

China is Brazil’s top trading partner and is seeking to expand economic and political ties across the region amid tensions with the US.

How Chinese lifestyle brands are finding fans abroad with toys, tea and trends

From milk tea to blind boxes, China’s lighter consumer brands are winning worldwide recognition – though time will tell if the craze will last.

Alibaba’s Qwen app becomes the world’s fastest growing AI app as MAUs surge 149%

Just two weeks into its public beta, Qwen has shown explosive growth, underscoring Alibaba’s challenge to global rivals OpenAI and Google.

Opinion | Why the real AI race is within China and not across the Pacific

Which vision of AI leadership within China wins out will be more impactful in shaping the future than a simple two-horse superpower race.

ByteDance-powered AI phone snapped up by consumers keen to try agentic assistant

The joint effort is the latest example of China’s advantages in combining AI capabilities with conventional consumer gadgets.

ByteDance teams up with ZTE as China races to take on Apple in agentic AI phones

From editing photos to booking restaurants, ByteDance’s partnership with ZTE offers a glimpse of China’s vision for agentic AI phones.

Beyond DeepSeek: Moonshot and MiniMax step up as China’s new frontier AI labs

DeepSeek might be grabbing the headlines, but Chinese start-ups Moonshot AI and MiniMax are emerging as serious rivals to US frontier labs.

Australia’s under-16 social media ban faces high court challenge

Critics say the world-first law, effective next month, infringes on political communication rights. Australia lacks an express free speech right.

Singapore firm’s US$99 AI teddy bear returns after sex fetish saga

FoloToy’s Teddy Kumma was involved in inappropriate chats with its users, including telling them where to find knives and pills.

TikTok names former Boeing executive as US public policy chief

Ojakli, who previously oversaw government affairs at Ford Motor and Softbank, will begin his new role December 1.

US, Chinese firms add AI shopping bells and whistles to dominate all-in-one apps

OpenAI’s new ‘shopping research’ tool resembles popular AI shopping services on Chinese e-commerce platforms like Tmall and Taobao.

Opinion | China still needs Nvidia’s advanced AI chips – but for how long?