Parent company TikTok 'uses OpenAI's technology' when creating chatbots

ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, is said to have used OpenAI's ChatGPT API to build its own AI chatbot.

According to The Verge, ByteDance is developing the project Project Seed artificial intelligence project, including two main products: Doubao - AI chatbot for the Chinese market, and another AI for commercialization globally through the cloud platform. This distribution is similar to when they released short video applications Douyin and TikTok.

However, instead of using its own large language model (LLM) AI training tool, ByteDance is said to use an application programming interface (API) of ChatGPT, violating regulations in the artificial intelligence industry. Both OpenAI and Microsoft have terms stating that partners cannot use the ChatGPT API to build AI models that compete with the product itself. of the company.

The TikTok logo displayed on a phone screen. Photo: Reuters

According to the source, ByteDance abused OpenAI tools in many stages of Project Seed development, including training and evaluating AI models. However, when needing to apply for a license to operate the Doubao chatbot in China a few months ago, ByteDance asked the research team to stop using the ChatGPT API to avoid legal trouble. "They said they need to make sure everything is legal,", an insider source of The Verge said.

Responding to the issue, Jodi Seth, a representative of ByteDance, confirmed that the company used the ChatGPT API during the launch phase of Project Seed, but had completely stopped and deleted all related training data since mid-year.

"The company is licensed by Microsoft to access the ChatGPT application programming interface. Additionally, ByteDance only uses this tool to support AI products in international markets. With the Doubao chatbot in China, we have self-developed models," Seth said.

Frank Shaw, a Microsoft representative, said the company is aware of the risk of violations from partners, so there are processes in place to detect misuse. "Azure OpenAI service is in a limited access framework. This means that partners must register and wait for approval. Microsoft also sets standards for people to use API tools responsibly," Shaw said.

On December 15, OpenAI stopped ByteDance's accounts to conduct an investigation. If policy violations are discovered, they will request TikTok's parent company to make necessary changes or permanently terminate the service.

According to The Verge, Project Seed started about a year ago and received priority from ByteDance leadership. The project's goal is to create a robust AI model in minimal time. It is expected that this AI will reach 200 billion parameters by the end of 2023, surpassing the 175 billion mark of GPT-3.5, and catching up with GPT-4 in 2024. However, experts assess that ByteDance's haste could have opposite effects.

ByteDance creates custom chatbots like ChatGPT
ByteDance, Tiktok's parent company, is developing a platform that allows users to create their own chatbots, similar to OpenAI.

According to SCMP, ByteDance also participates in the race generative AI< a i=4> when preparing to launch the "personalized" chatbot product; Similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT. Besides, the company also built a tool to support users in creating images with text like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion. The beta is expected to be deployed later this month and can be integrated into ByteDance's existing products.

In early November, OpenAI introduced an AI personalization tool, called GPT, in which users can create customized ChatGPT versions for specialized tasks such as teaching, graphic design, and customer communication. , content creation. The company initially planned to open the GPT Store app store at the end of November for users to share GPT tools, but postponed it until early 2024, after the firing of the CEO.

Meanwhile, ByteDance turned to AI technology after its most successful product, Tiktok, was banned or restricted in some countries due to concerns about negative impacts on young people. They also announced their own chatbot Doubao in August after being approved by Chinese regulators - which have strict regulations on AI development -. However, the company is facing competition not only from the US but also from other Chinese companies such as Baidu and Alibaba.