TikTok parent launches AI voice assistant for Chinese phones
What's the story
Chinese tech giant ByteDance has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) voice control tool, which will first be integrated into a smartphone from ZTE Corp. The new feature is powered by ByteDance's popular Doubao large language model, and allows users to perform tasks like searching for content and booking tickets using voice commands. This move puts ByteDance in direct competition with similar AI offerings from Huawei and Xiaomi.
Launch details
AI tool's debut on ZTE's Nubia M153
The first device to feature ByteDance's AI voice tool will be ZTE's Nubia M153 smartphone. The prototype of the device is priced at CNY 3,499 (around ₹44,300) and is currently available for pre-order in limited quantities. Following its debut on this model, the tech giant plans to expand the availability of its AI assistant to smartphones from other manufacturers over time.
Market leadership
ByteDance's Doubao leads China's market
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok and its Chinese counterpart Douyin, has become a dominant player in China's consumer AI app market with its chatbot, Doubao. As of October, Doubao had 159 million monthly active users, far outpacing Tencent's Yuanbao at 73 million and DeepSeek at 72 million. This strong user base highlights ByteDance's success in the rapidly growing field of AI technology.