ByteDance leverages data from a billion users to power AI ambitions

China’s ByteDance is transforming data from its popular apps TikTok, Douyin, and Toutiao into a competitive advantage in artificial intelligence, reports Meaghan Tobin of The New York Times. The company collects behavioral data from approximately 170 million U.S. TikTok users and around 1 billion users of its Chinese apps. This wealth of information has become the foundation for ByteDance’s expanding AI business. The company invested about $11 billion last year in AI infrastructure, including data centers and semiconductors, while also going on an AI hiring spree. ByteDance has launched Doubao, one of China’s most popular chatbots, and offers commercial AI services through its Volcano Engine division. Despite U.S. concerns about TikTok’s data practices that have led to potential sale requirements, ByteDance continues advancing toward artificial general intelligence, aligning with Beijing’s push for technological self-reliance.