ByteDance secretly uses OpenAI technology to build its chatbot

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ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, has been caught secretly using the OpenAI API to develop its own language model called Project Seed.

Here's What We Know

Using the API to train AI models is explicitly prohibited by OpenAI's terms of service. However, ByteDance's internal documents show that the company instructed employees to disguise their actions.

Later, after launching the Doubao chatbot in China, ByteDance allegedly continued to test its models using OpenAI tools.

In response to the allegations, OpenAI suspended ByteDance's access to its APIs. A company spokesperson said the investigation will continue and ByteDance's account could be blocked if the violations are confirmed.

For its part, ByteDance denies violating GPT's API usage rules. The company claims it has a licence agreement with Microsoft and only uses OpenAI in foreign markets.

"[We] use our self-developed model to power Doubao, which is available ONLY in China"," a company spokesperson said.

Source: The Verge