由 admin 
ByteDance, the corporate entity behind TikTok, has developed what is currently one of the most prominent AI chatbots in China: Doubao. Launched in 2023, this application has ascended to the forefront of the country’s generative AI market. As per data from Chinese analytics firm QuestMobile, by August, it had amassed over 157 million monthly active users.
However, a less – publicized fact is that Doubao has an overseas equivalent named Cici. Cici was released around the same time as Doubao. The app icons of both feature a female cartoon avatar with a near – identical appearance, though Cici’s avatar sports longer hair. The app is geographically restricted and not accessible in either China or the United States, which contributes to its relative obscurity compared to Doubao.
Nonetheless, ByteDance has been discreetly promoting Cici to users in the United Kingdom, Mexico, and several Southeast Asian countries. Meta’s Ad Library indicates that in October, Cici ran over 400 distinct ads in Mexico. The majority of these ads highlighted the model’s proficiency in solving math problems and the fact that it is offered free of charge. It is also currently conducting ad campaigns in the UK and the Philippines. On TikTok, content creators in these countries have shared numerous sponsored videos about Cici, utilizing hashtags such as #ciciai.
As a result of this marketing initiative, downloads of the Cici app have witnessed a significant upswing recently. According to data from Sensor Tower, a market intelligence firm, in markets including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Mexico, and the UK, the app has ranked within the top 20 most – downloaded free apps on the Google Play Store over the past three months. For instance, in Mexico, Cici has been the most – downloaded free app on the Google Play Store daily for the past week. In the UK on Thursday, Cici was the ninth – most popular free app in Apple’s App Store.
Cici scarcely makes any reference to its affiliation with ByteDance within the app or on its website. Nevertheless, the Chinese company previously confirmed its control over the apps to Forbes in 2024. As per Cici’s privacy policy disclosure, it leverages technology from several other ByteDance – owned platforms, such as the photo editor PicPic and the coding assistant Coze. However, when it comes to text generation, it utilizes OpenAI’s GPT and Google’s Gemini rather than ByteDance’s proprietary large – language models. (ByteDance did not respond to a comment request from WIRED.)
The mobile app design of Cici bears a striking resemblance to that of Doubao. Users can interact with the AI via text or audio, generate and analyze images, and experiment with autonomous agents created by other users. Nevertheless, Cici lags behind Doubao in terms of multi – modal and social features. It lacks the ability to generate music and video content, and users cannot directly share their creations on the platform.
Since TikTok’s meteoric rise, ByteDance has faced challenges in developing another app with a comparable global impact. While Cici’s international influence remains far from Doubao’s domestic preeminence, it demonstrates that the company is gradually making headway and is willing to invest in acquiring new users. However, without the Chinese internet regulations that shield against competition from Western AI entities, ByteDance will have to compete directly with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.
ByteDance’s strength lies in its years of experience in developing highly engaging mobile apps that are used daily by over a billion people. “Chinese AI companies are likely better positioned than their Western counterparts to develop consumer products that people genuinely desire to use. Neither Google nor OpenAI has mastered the type of dopamine – driven user engagement that ByteDance built TikTok upon,” states Dermot McGrath, a Shanghai – based investor and technologist.
Nonetheless, Cici will encounter its own set of unique challenges outside China. The global AI app industry is more fragmented, and users base their decisions on which platforms to download on their cultural backgrounds and economic habits. Additionally, ByteDance is still perceived in many countries as an extension of the Chinese government, which has sparked concerns regarding data security and political propaganda. “Unless they can effectively navigate the geopolitical landscape or form partnerships with Western companies,” McGrath notes, ByteDance’s market advantages may remain “largely confined to China and perhaps other Asian markets.”