ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has built what is currently the most popular AI chatbot in China: Doubao.
But what’s less known is that Doubao also has an overseas counterpart: Cici. It was released around the same time and features a nearly identical female cartoon avatar as its app icon, except Cici’s has longer hair than Doubao’s.
Cici makes almost no mention of its ties to ByteDance anywhere in the app or on its website, but the Chinese company previously confirmed its control of the apps to Forbes in 2024.
Read more | WIRED