Chinese tech giants unveil AI chatbots to public post government approval

As per the reports, four prominent Chinese tech companies, including Baidu Inc and SenseTime Group, have reportedly introduced their artificial intelligence chatbots to the public, after securing the necessary government approvals. This development aligns with China's proactive stance to broaden the adoption of AI products, especially in light of escalating competition with the United States.

Baidu, renowned as China's foremost online search provider, released an official statement unveiling its chatbot, Ernie Bot, which bears resemblance to the popular ChatGPT model. Notably, this chatbot is now accessible to the general public. Correspondingly, SenseTime's spokesperson also confirmed that their chatbot, SenseChat, has also been made available to cater to all users.

Simultaneously, two emerging AI startups, Baichuan Intelligent Technology and Zhipu AI, have also debuted their chatbots to the public, aligning with the shared momentum in the AI landscape.

As a result, the stock market response was swift, with shares of Baidu and SenseTime experiencing gains of 3.1% and 2.7%, respectively, during early Hong Kong trading. This uptrend was observed despite the broader market dipping by 0.4%.

For the record, diverging from the practices of other nations, China mandates that companies must undergo rigorous security assessments and receive clearance prior to launching AI products for widespread use. This approach reflects the government's commitment to ensuring the security and reliability of AI technologies.

Moreover, China has intensified its support for AI development, with a total of 11 companies, including notable players like ByteDance and Tencent Holdings, securing government approvals for their AI endeavors. Though Alibaba's AI plans remain under wraps, an Alibaba Cloud spokesperson confirmed that preparations for the official launch of their AI model, Tongyi Qianwen, are complete.

These approvals stem from China's newly introduced interim regulations, effective from August 15, aimed at regulating the deployment of generative AI products. The shift allows companies to conduct broader public testing, including enhanced features and marketing, with the exception of products designed solely for business applications.

Industry experts cite that China’s regulatory approval for AI tech could trigger industry consolidation, with entities equipped with substantial data resources and technological prowess having a competitive advantage.

Source credit: https://www.reuters.com/technology/baidu-among-first-win-china-approval-ai-models-bloomberg-news-2023-08-30/