TikTok and Kuaishou Ignite a Quickfire Battle: Chinese AI Models Intensify Competition Against GPT-4

Recently, the ByteDance AI application "Doubao" has soared to the top of the Apple App Store, achieving the top spot due to an average of 140,000 downloads per day. This surge in popularity has made Doubao a household name in China, overshadowing more globally recognized platforms like ChatGPT for many new users of AI applications.

Meanwhile, ByteDance's short video product "Hongguo Duanju" has secured the second spot on the chart. The company’s latest innovation, the AI-generated short drama titled "Sanxingdui: The Future Revelation," quickly amassed 140 million views shortly after its premiere. The accompanying video creation tool, “Jimeng,” gained significant traction as it’s being referred to as the "Chinese version of Sora."

As of July 25, Doubao held the top position on the Apple App Store’s list of free apps, coinciding with the release of the short drama snippets. Similarly, Kuaishou has rapidly joined the fray, launching its self-produced AI short drama "Shanhai Qijing: Pi Bo Zhan Lang" this month. The video generation platform "Ke Ling" has been officially launched, aligning with the industry leader’s pace. Director Chen Kun noted that AI has reduced the typical production cycle from 3-6 months to just 2 months, with costs dropping to less than a quarter of the traditional production method.

The rise of AI in the Chinese short video landscape indicates a significant shift in the industry. Both Douyin and Kuaishou are not just competing for short drama viewers; they are vying for control over the expanding AI video industry. Insiders from these platforms predict that the short drama market could reach a staggering value of 100 billion yuan by 2027, but currently, there is a substantial gap between content demand and supply. The emergence of generative AI for short drama production has greatly reduced both the time and cost involved, fundamentally reshaping the entire video industry’s ecosystem.

The competitive landscape has drastically changed in July, catching many players off guard. Although large language models remain the core technology, a seasoned industry expert asserts that the battle has shifted towards AI video production. As AI video startups navigate this landscape, competitors from various sectors are making their presence known. On July 26, another major player in the generative AI space, Zhiyu AI, launched a free version of its own “Zhiyu AI Sora,” further intensifying the competition. A new chaotic battlefield has emerged.