China has reportedly given regulatory approval for some tech companies to release their artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots to the public.
According to a report from the Financial Times, ByteDance and Baidu are two of the companies set to be receive approval.
The launch of these AI chatbots is significant for ByteDance and Baidu as they aim to enhance their business models and increase advertising revenue, per the report.
ByteDance, which is primarily known for the success of its global social media app TikTok, will launch its Doubao AI chatbot to the public, emphasising its commitment to the continued development of generative AI products, as it looks to commercialise the technology.
Baidu is set to launch its own version of the service to the public, known as Ernie. Previously, the platform was only available to a limited pool of users who were tasked with testing the chatbot. However, with the regulatory approval, anyone with a Chinese phone number can now access the free platform.
Interest in the technology is now blossoming throughout China, with other Chinese tech companies, such as SenseTime and Zhipu, also launching their chatbots.
With Beijing’s approval, these technologies can now begin to combat the US-developed versions of the tech for international superiority.
