ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has taken the lead in China’s AI chatbot race, surpassing tech giant Baidu Inc. with its popular chatbot Doubao. According to data from Sensor Tower, Doubao has gained more regular monthly users on iOS in China compared to Baidu’s Ernie Bot.
ByteDance’s emphasis on AI technology advancements under the leadership of CEO Liang Rubo has propelled Doubao to the forefront of the market. The company’s commitment to innovation is evident in its global success with platforms like TikTok and Douyin.
Doubao’s success is further highlighted by its impressive download numbers, with nearly nine million downloads on Apple’s iOS platform by April. This surpasses the eight million downloads of Baidu’s Ernie Bot, solidifying ByteDance’s position as a leader in the AI chatbot space.
Moreover, Doubao boasts a staggering 26 million monthly active users across mobile and PC platforms, showcasing its widespread popularity among Chinese users. This figure far exceeds the monthly user count of OpenAI’s ChatGPT mobile app in the US.
The competition in the AI chatbot sector is fierce, with tech giants like Alibaba, Tencent, Microsoft, Meta, and Google heavily investing in generative AI technology. The landscape is further enriched by emerging startups like Moonshot AI, indicating a vibrant and competitive market for AI services in China.