How ByteDance Made China's Most Popular AI Chatbot

ByteDance's Doubao app has overtaken DeepSeek, proving that user-friendly design often matters more than having the most advanced AI model. When Chinese AI startup DeepSeek became a global sensation in January, it not only shocked Silicon Valley but also startled ByteDance, TikTok's parent company. The Chinese tech giant had already launched Doubao, its own flagship AI assistant app with tens of millions of users. But when DeepSeek became the best-known Chinese AI company overnight, no one was talking about Doubao anymore. Now, ByteDance has gotten its revenge.