- ByteDance’s AI chatbot Doubao surpasses Baidu’s Ernie in China.
- ByteDance expands AI offerings, including education app Gauth.
- Baidu explores alternative monetization strategies for Ernie.
Doubao, ByteDance’s ChatGPT-like offering, has swiftly overtaken Baidu’s Ernie Bot to become the most popular AI chatbot in China, according to Sensor Tower data reported by Bloomberg.
Launched in August 2023, Doubao has amassed nearly 9 million downloads, a million more than Ernie, and boasts over 4 million monthly users on Apple’s iOS in China.
From chatbots to homework heroes
ByteDance’s AI ambitions extend beyond Doubao, the company’s subsidiary GauthTech’s “AI homework helper” app, Gauth, has become the second most downloaded education app in the US, second only to Duolingo.
ByteDance claims that Doubao has 26 million active users on mobile and PC in China, surpassing OpenAI’s ChatGPT mobile app, which has 6.7 million monthly US users.
Monetization strategies among China’s AI chatbots
Among the leading AI chatbots in China, only Baidu’s Ernie offers a paid subscription. However, since March 2023, Ernie has generated less than US$500,000 from subscriptions and app purchases, according to Sensor Tower data.
Baidu is exploring alternative monetization strategies, advertising and cloud services, which could potentially drive billions more in yuan this year.
Additionally, Apple is reportedly in early-stage talks with Baidu about incorporating the latter’s genAI technology into its products in China.
To read the original article: https://www.techinasia.com/bytedance-dominates-chinas-top-ai-chatbot-ios-platform
