Key Points
1) Over the past 18 months, major Chinese tech giants like Alibaba and Tencent have introduced their own AI models, aiming to leverage the excitement surrounding this technology.
2) China’s drive to become a global AI leader intensifies its ongoing technological competition with the U.S.
Global attention on generative artificial intelligence has predominantly centered on major U.S. companies like OpenAI, Google’s Alphabet, and Meta. However, in the past 18 months, leading Chinese tech giants such as Alibaba and Tencent have introduced their own AI models to tap into the growing excitement around this technology.
China’s drive to become a global AI leader adds a new dimension to its technology rivalry with the U.S. While China has traditionally been seen as trailing behind, the competition is intensifying.
Generative AI includes tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which can create text, images, and even video from user prompts. These applications rely on large AI models, such as Google’s Gemini, that are trained on vast datasets.
Chinese technology firms have had to navigate carefully when releasing their AI models due to Beijing’s stringent regulations on technology and its applications.
Baidu: ERNIE
Baidu, one of China’s leading internet companies, was a pioneer in launching generative AI applications in the country. Its ERNIE model powers Ernie Bot, an AI chatbot aimed at competing with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and reportedly serves 300 million users.
Baidu claims that its latest version, Ernie 4.0, offers capabilities comparable to OpenAI’s GPT-4, with advanced understanding and reasoning abilities.
As with other tech firms, Baidu provides access to its AI model through its cloud computing division.
Alibaba: Tongyi Qianwen
Last year, Alibaba introduced its suite of foundational models known as Tongyi Qianwen, often referred to as Qwen. The company has developed several versions of Qwen, each designed for specific tasks. For instance, one version focuses on content creation and solving math problems, while another handles audio inputs and generates text-based responses.
Some Qwen models are open-sourced, allowing developers to download and use them with certain restrictions.
As of May, Alibaba reported that over 90,000 enterprise users have deployed its Qwen models.
Tencent: Hunyuan
Last year, Tencent introduced its foundational model, Hunyuan.
Businesses can access Hunyuan’s features through Tencent’s cloud computing services. Tencent boasts that Hunyuan excels in Chinese language processing and offers “advanced” logical reasoning capabilities. The model supports various functions, including image creation and text recognition.
Tencent markets Hunyuan as a versatile tool suitable for industries such as gaming, social media, and e-commerce.
Additionally, Tencent, which operates China’s largest messaging app, WeChat, launched an AI chatbot named Yuanbao this year. Powered by Hunyuan, Yuanbao can access information and content from WeChat, helping Tencent differentiate its AI offerings from competitors.
Huawei: Pangu
Huawei has adopted a unique strategy with its Pangu AI models, focusing on creating solutions tailored to specific industries such as government, finance, manufacturing, mining, and meteorology.
For instance, Huawei’s Pangu Meteorology Model can forecast a typhoon’s trajectory over 10 days in just about 10 seconds, a significant improvement from the previous four-to-five-hour prediction time.
Available through Huawei’s cloud computing services, these models also offer generative capabilities, including code generation and virtual human avatars.
ByteDance: Doubao
This year, ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, entered the AI arena with its Doubao model, arriving later than competitors like Baidu and Alibaba.
Despite its late entry, ByteDance has offered Doubao at a significantly lower price compared to other models on the market.
The Doubao model features capabilities such as voice generation and code creation for developers, among other functions.
