ByteDance has terminated the services of an intern for interference with an AI model project, which reportedly caused tens of millions dollars' worth of damages, a claim denied by the Chinese owner of massively popular video-sharing platform TikTok.

The firing took place in August, according to a clarification issued by ByteDance after Chinese mainland social media was abuzz with how massive a dent the intern's actions had made on the company's finances.&nbsp;

In a statement posted on its news aggregation platform Toutiao on Saturday (Oct 19), ByteDance described as 'inaccurate' the reports of any significant damage or revenue losses for the company arising from the intern's actions.

The intern in question was part of ByteDance advertising tech department's commercialisation wing.

Watch: Will ByteDance to divest TikTok Or Face Ban?

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Reportedly dissatisfied with resource allocations, the intern disrupted AI model training involving over 8,000 GPUs or Graphics&nbsp;Processing Units.

ByteDance, which in addition to TikTok is developing several AI applications, said the company's official commercial projects and AI operations were not disrupted.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiktok-fights-back-bytedance-appeals-to-overturn-unconstitutional-potential-ban-in-us-733665">TikTok fights back: ByteDance appeals against potential ban in US, calls it 'unconstitutional'</a> 
 
It said industry associations and the university of the intern were informed about the misconduct. The intern studied in Beihang University and Peking University, according to a report in South China Morning Post.

Countering claims in social media, ByteDance said the intern did not have experience with its AI lab.

The company's clarifications came even an audio recording claiming to be from the intern surfaced on the global code depository site GitHub.&nbsp;

The audio from the handle 'JusticeFighter110' posted on October 18 claimed the intern inserted malicious code into the AI project. But another repository on GitHub said the audio was fabricated.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/tiktok-cuts-hundreds-of-jobs-as-bytedance-shifts-focus-to-ai-content-moderation-767010">TikTok cuts hundreds of jobs as ByteDance shifts focus to AI content moderation</a>

According to the SCMP report,&nbsp;the intern had previosly worked at SenseTime and the Oxford University before starting&nbsp;at ByteDance in 2021.

Figting in generative AI world against big players like OpenAI, ByteDance's AI lab is bringing out several features and applications driven by artificial intellicence.&nbsp;

Its Doubao AI model reached 47 monthly active users in September as opposed to Baidu’s Ernie Bot or Wenxiaoyan which had 12 mn and Moonshot AI’s Kimi, which had had 7 mn users.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

ByteDance has terminated the services of an intern for interference with an AI model project, which reportedly caused tens of millions dollars' worth of damages, a claim denied by the Chinese owner of massively popular video-sharing platform TikTok.

ByteDance has terminated the services of an intern for interference with an AI model project, which reportedly caused tens of millions dollars' worth of damages, a claim denied by the Chinese owner of massively popular video-sharing platform TikTok. The firing took place in August, according to a clarification issued by ByteDance after Chinese mainland social media was abuzz with how massive a dent the intern's actions had made on the company's finances. In a statement posted on its news aggregation platform Toutiao on Saturday (Oct 19), ByteDance described as 'inaccurate' the reports of any significant damage or revenue losses for the company arising from the intern's actions. The intern in question was part of ByteDance advertising tech department's commercialisation wing. Watch: Will ByteDance to divest TikTok Or Face Ban? × Reportedly dissatisfied with resource allocations, the intern disrupted AI model training involving over 8,000 GPUs or Graphics Processing Units. ByteDance, which in addition to TikTok is developing several AI applications, said the company's official commercial projects and AI operations were not disrupted. TikTok fights back: ByteDance appeals against potential ban in US, calls it 'unconstitutional' It said industry associations and the university of the intern were informed about the misconduct. The intern studied in Beihang University and Peking University, according to a report in South China Morning Post. Countering claims in social media, ByteDance said the intern did not have experience with its AI lab. The company's clarifications came even an audio recording claiming to be from the intern surfaced on the global code depository site GitHub. The audio from the handle 'JusticeFighter110' posted on October 18 claimed the intern inserted malicious code into the AI project. But another repository on GitHub said the audio was fabricated. TikTok cuts hundreds of jobs as ByteDance shifts focus to AI content moderation According to the SCMP report, the intern had previosly worked at SenseTime and the Oxford University before starting at ByteDance in 2021. Figting in generative AI world against big players like OpenAI, ByteDance's AI lab is bringing out several features and applications driven by artificial intellicence. Its Doubao AI model reached 47 monthly active users in September as opposed to Baidu’s Ernie Bot or Wenxiaoyan which had 12 mn and Moonshot AI’s Kimi, which had had 7 mn users. (With inputs from agencies)

TikTok owner ByteDance's AI project was disrupted massively by an intern. And then, this happened

China's leading artificial intelligence firm SenseTime's founder and influential computer scientist Tang Xiao'ou&nbsp;died at the age of 51, said the company, in a statement on Saturday (Dec 16). 
 
"It is with an extremely heavy heart that we announce to everyone the sorrowful news: Our beloved founder... Tang Xiao'ou, due to an illness that could not be treated, left us forever at 23:45 on December 15, 2023," said SenseTime, in an online post. 
 
Tang, who was an alumnus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was appointed as a former professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, established SenseTime in 2014.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/chinas-ban-on-apples-iphone-accelerates-670281">China's ban on Apple's iPhone accelerates</a>

The specific reason behind the death of a renowned computer scientist has not been revealed. 
 
Hailing Tang in its statement on Saturday (Dec 16), SenseTime said that he was "an outstanding representative in (China's) AI field", and called him "knowledgeable, rigorous in scholarship, truth-seeking and pragmatic". 
 
"The company mission he formulated, to 'insist on originality and let AI lead human progress' will inspire all SenseTime people," the firm stated. As a “pioneer in China’s AI industry”, Tang will continue to remain as an inspiration for others, said the company.

<h2>Revenue fabrication row, US trade blacklist</h2>

On November 28, SenseTime Group – after getting involved in revenue fabrication row – said that Grizzly Research LLC's short-seller report is 'without merit' and that they will review the allegations against the company. 
 
The report alleged that the AI firm was inflating its revenue artificially through revenue fabrication schemes.

Watch:&nbsp;China hopes parties in Myanmar will implement agreements, brokers peace talks

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Meanwhile, in 2019, SenseTime was placed on a US trade blacklist and faced accusations of being an arm of China's "military-industrial complex" and using its technology to carry out mass surveillance in the western region of Xinjiang. 
 
In December 2021, the initial public offering of the firm in Hong Kong was delayed after it faced new restrictions by the United States over the related accusations. However, it was able to successfully list on the exchange before the end of the year. 
 
Tang's experience is extensive in American academia and he earned a PhD from MIT in 1996 after he completed an MSc from the University of Rochester in 1991.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

China's leading artificial intelligence firm SenseTime's founder and influential computer scientist Tang Xiao'ou died at the age of 51, said the company, in a statement on Saturday (Dec 16).

China's leading artificial intelligence firm SenseTime's founder and influential computer scientist Tang Xiao'ou died at the age of 51, said the company, in a statement on Saturday (Dec 16). "It is with an extremely heavy heart that we announce to everyone the sorrowful news: Our beloved founder... Tang Xiao'ou, due to an illness that could not be treated, left us forever at 23:45 on December 15, 2023," said SenseTime, in an online post. Tang, who was an alumnus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was appointed as a former professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, established SenseTime in 2014. Also read: China's ban on Apple's iPhone accelerates The specific reason behind the death of a renowned computer scientist has not been revealed. Hailing Tang in its statement on Saturday (Dec 16), SenseTime said that he was "an outstanding representative in (China's) AI field", and called him "knowledgeable, rigorous in scholarship, truth-seeking and pragmatic". "The company mission he formulated, to 'insist on originality and let AI lead human progress' will inspire all SenseTime people," the firm stated. As a “pioneer in China’s AI industry”, Tang will continue to remain as an inspiration for others, said the company. Revenue fabrication row, US trade blacklist On November 28, SenseTime Group – after getting involved in revenue fabrication row – said that Grizzly Research LLC's short-seller report is 'without merit' and that they will review the allegations against the company. The report alleged that the AI firm was inflating its revenue artificially through revenue fabrication schemes. Watch: China hopes parties in Myanmar will implement agreements, brokers peace talks Meanwhile, in 2019, SenseTime was placed on a US trade blacklist and faced accusations of being an arm of China's "military-industrial complex" and using its technology to carry out mass surveillance in the western region of Xinjiang. In December 2021, the initial public offering of the firm in Hong Kong was delayed after it faced new restrictions by the United States over the related accusations. However, it was able to successfully list on the exchange before the end of the year. Tang's experience is extensive in American academia and he earned a PhD from MIT in 1996 after he completed an MSc from the University of Rochester in 1991. (With inputs from agencies)

China: AI giant SenseTime founder Tang Xiao'ou dies days after revenue fabrication row

Tech giant Baidu launched China's first public artificial intelligence chatbot on Thursday, with ERNIE trained to censor highly sensitive topics for the ruling Communist Party such as the Tiananmen crackdown.

Beijing issued new regulations this month for China's AI developers that maintain the government's tight control on information while allowing them to stay in the race with the likes of Microsoft and ChatGPT maker OpenAI.

Baidu led several companies in rolling out AI chatbots on Thursday: SenseTime opened its service for registration, and two other firms -- Baichuan Intelligent Technology and Zhipu AI -- said their bots were online and open to the public.

"We are thrilled to share that ERNIE Bot is now fully open to the general public starting August 31," Baidu said in a statement on Thursday.

"In addition to ERNIE Bot, Baidu is set to launch a suite of new AI-native apps that allow users to fully experience the four core abilities of generative AI: understanding, generation, reasoning, and memory."

The chatbot was first released in March but its availability was limited.

<h2>'Let's talk about something else'</h2>

Chinese generative AI apps must "adhere to the core values of socialism" and refrain from threatening national security, according to the guidelines published this month.

When tested by AFP on Thursday, ERNIE Bot easily answered mundane questions such as "What is the capital of China?" and "Do you have any hobbies?"

But on sensitive topics such as China's bloody clampdown on pro-democracy protesters at Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989, it said: "Let's change the topic and start again."

Tiananmen is a particularly sensitive subject in China and online information and discussion about it is strictly censored.

When asked about Taiwan, a self-ruling island that China claims as its territory, ERNIE Bot offered a longer answer.

"Taiwan is part of the sacred territory of the People's Republic of China," it responded. "China's sovereignty and territorial integrity cannot be violated or divided."

Then, it said: "Let's talk about something else."

<h2>Global AI race</h2>

By making ERNIE widely available, Baidu will be able to gain "massive" human feedback to improve the app at a swift pace, CEO Robin Li was quoted as saying in the statement.

Generative AI apps, including chatbots such as ERNIE, are trained on vast amounts of data as well as their interactions with users so they can answer questions, even complex ones, in human-like language.

The rapid success of US-based OpenAI's ChatGPT -- which is banned in China -- sparked an international race to develop rival apps, including image and video generators, but also widespread alarm about the potential for abuse and disinformation.

Under Chinese regulations, AI developers must conduct security assessments and submit filings on their algorithms to the authorities if their software is judged to have an impact on "public opinion", according to the rules.

They are also required to label AI-generated content.

Baidu is one of China's biggest tech companies but has faced competition from other firms such as Tencent in various sectors.

In addition to AI, it has also looked to grow its cloud computing business and develop autonomous driving technology.

Baidu shares were up 3.2 per cent in Hong Kong at around 0430 GMT on Thursday.

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Tech giant Baidu launched China's first public artificial intelligence chatbot on Thursday, with ERNIE trained to censor highly sensitive topics for the ruling Communist Party such as the Tiananmen crackdown.

Tech giant Baidu launched China's first public artificial intelligence chatbot on Thursday, with ERNIE trained to censor highly sensitive topics for the ruling Communist Party such as the Tiananmen crackdown. Beijing issued new regulations this month for China's AI developers that maintain the government's tight control on information while allowing them to stay in the race with the likes of Microsoft and ChatGPT maker OpenAI. Baidu led several companies in rolling out AI chatbots on Thursday: SenseTime opened its service for registration, and two other firms -- Baichuan Intelligent Technology and Zhipu AI -- said their bots were online and open to the public. "We are thrilled to share that ERNIE Bot is now fully open to the general public starting August 31," Baidu said in a statement on Thursday. "In addition to ERNIE Bot, Baidu is set to launch a suite of new AI-native apps that allow users to fully experience the four core abilities of generative AI: understanding, generation, reasoning, and memory." The chatbot was first released in March but its availability was limited. 'Let's talk about something else' Chinese generative AI apps must "adhere to the core values of socialism" and refrain from threatening national security, according to the guidelines published this month. When tested by AFP on Thursday, ERNIE Bot easily answered mundane questions such as "What is the capital of China?" and "Do you have any hobbies?" But on sensitive topics such as China's bloody clampdown on pro-democracy protesters at Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989, it said: "Let's change the topic and start again." Tiananmen is a particularly sensitive subject in China and online information and discussion about it is strictly censored. When asked about Taiwan, a self-ruling island that China claims as its territory, ERNIE Bot offered a longer answer. "Taiwan is part of the sacred territory of the People's Republic of China," it responded. "China's sovereignty and territorial integrity cannot be violated or divided." Then, it said: "Let's talk about something else." Global AI race By making ERNIE widely available, Baidu will be able to gain "massive" human feedback to improve the app at a swift pace, CEO Robin Li was quoted as saying in the statement. Generative AI apps, including chatbots such as ERNIE, are trained on vast amounts of data as well as their interactions with users so they can answer questions, even complex ones, in human-like language. The rapid success of US-based OpenAI's ChatGPT -- which is banned in China -- sparked an international race to develop rival apps, including image and video generators, but also widespread alarm about the potential for abuse and disinformation. Under Chinese regulations, AI developers must conduct security assessments and submit filings on their algorithms to the authorities if their software is judged to have an impact on "public opinion", according to the rules. They are also required to label AI-generated content. Baidu is one of China's biggest tech companies but has faced competition from other firms such as Tencent in various sectors. In addition to AI, it has also looked to grow its cloud computing business and develop autonomous driving technology. Baidu shares were up 3.2 per cent in Hong Kong at around 0430 GMT on Thursday. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Baidu leads public rollout of AI chatbots in China, Ernie now fully open to public

Tang Xiao’ou, an professor and an MIT grad suddenly found himself among the richest in the world as he personal wealth increased manifolds after a successful IPO of company he co-founded.

SenseTime Group shares surged as much as 23% from their IPO price on Thursday, adding billions of dollars to the artificial intelligence start-up`s market value as it debuted in Hong Kong in the city`s final major float for the year.&nbsp;

Even when SenseTime's share had grown by 11 per cent at the end of morning session, net worth of Xiao'ou had touched USD 3.9 billion.

Some analysts had expected the shares to struggle due to weak demand during the IPO process and worries about SenseTime`s inclusion on a U.S. investment blacklist that prompted the Chinese firm to shelve its first attempt to list.

"The main reason that support is coming to the share price is that the market had already digested the U.S. sanction issue," said Kenny Ng, Everbright Sun Hung Kai analyst.

"SenseTime set the IPO price at the lower end of the range which left room for the price performance after listing."

The Chinese company raised $740 million in its initial public offering and priced its shares at HK$3.85 ($0.4937) each.

The deal valued SenseTime at $16.4 billion, while at the session`s high its market capitalisation had added some $3.8 billion.

SenseTime ended at HK$4.13 in its debut session, up 7.3% from its IPO price. It was the fifth most actively traded stock by turnover with 329.97 million shares changing hands worth HK$1.406 bln.

The broader Hang Seng Index gained just 0.11% while tech stocks in Hong Kong were marginally positive on the day.

SenseTime`s IPO was Hong Kong`s fifth largest in 2021, Dealogic data shows.

Hong Kong has struggled to attract big ticket deals this year due to a regulatory crackdown on a number of sectors by Chinese authorities.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Tang Xiao’ou, an professor and an MIT grad suddenly found himself among the richest in the world as he personal wealth increased manifolds after a successful IPO of company he co-founded.

Tang Xiao’ou, an professor and an MIT grad suddenly found himself among the richest in the world as he personal wealth increased manifolds after a successful IPO of company he co-founded. SenseTime Group shares surged as much as 23% from their IPO price on Thursday, adding billions of dollars to the artificial intelligence start-up`s market value as it debuted in Hong Kong in the city`s final major float for the year. Even when SenseTime's share had grown by 11 per cent at the end of morning session, net worth of Xiao'ou had touched USD 3.9 billion. Some analysts had expected the shares to struggle due to weak demand during the IPO process and worries about SenseTime`s inclusion on a U.S. investment blacklist that prompted the Chinese firm to shelve its first attempt to list. "The main reason that support is coming to the share price is that the market had already digested the U.S. sanction issue," said Kenny Ng, Everbright Sun Hung Kai analyst. "SenseTime set the IPO price at the lower end of the range which left room for the price performance after listing." The Chinese company raised $740 million in its initial public offering and priced its shares at HK$3.85 ($0.4937) each. The deal valued SenseTime at $16.4 billion, while at the session`s high its market capitalisation had added some $3.8 billion. SenseTime ended at HK$4.13 in its debut session, up 7.3% from its IPO price. It was the fifth most actively traded stock by turnover with 329.97 million shares changing hands worth HK$1.406 bln. The broader Hang Seng Index gained just 0.11% while tech stocks in Hong Kong were marginally positive on the day. SenseTime`s IPO was Hong Kong`s fifth largest in 2021, Dealogic data shows. Hong Kong has struggled to attract big ticket deals this year due to a regulatory crackdown on a number of sectors by Chinese authorities. (With inputs from agencies)

A professor and MIT grad suddenly becomes one among world's richest

SenseTime, a Chinese artificial intelligence start-up, has revived its initial public offering, proceeding with Hong Kong listing on Monday (December 20).&nbsp;

The decision comes a week after it was blacklisted by the United States over accusations of racial profiling via its facial recognition technology. The implication is that the company's technology helped identify or do suveillence of Uyghur Muslims, thereby assisting China's &nbsp;alleged human rights abuses and genocide in the Xinjiang region.&nbsp;

The company has filed a revised listing with the Hong Kong stock exchange on Monday.&nbsp;The trading is expected to start on December 30.&nbsp;

"Due to the dynamic and evolving nature of the relevant US regulations, we have required to exclude US investors," the company wrote.

Bloomberg News reported that SenseTime had secured about $512 million from nine cornerstone investors, including state-backed Mixed-Ownership Reform Fund and Shanghai Xuhui Capital Investment Company.

The company is still planning to hit the pre-blacklisting $767 million target with 1.5 billion shares at HK$3.85 to HK$3.99 per share.

Why did the US blacklist SenseTime?&nbsp;

US accuses SenseTime of being part of China's "military-industrial complex" that provides technology for mass surveillance in Xinjiang.&nbsp;

It says SenseTime has developed and deployed facial recognition software that can determine a person's ethnicity, including whether someone looks Uyghur.

SenseTime refuted the blacklisting, saying that the accusations were unfounded and emphasised that the company was "caught in the middle of geopolitical tension".

SenseTime, a Chinese artificial intelligence start-up, has revived its initial public offering, proceeding with Hong Kong listing on Monday (December 20). The decision comes a week after it was blacklisted by the United States over accusations of racial profiling via its facial recognition technology.

SenseTime, a Chinese artificial intelligence start-up, has revived its initial public offering, proceeding with Hong Kong listing on Monday (December 20). The decision comes a week after it was blacklisted by the United States over accusations of racial profiling via its facial recognition technology. The implication is that the company's technology helped identify or do suveillence of Uyghur Muslims, thereby assisting China's alleged human rights abuses and genocide in the Xinjiang region. The company has filed a revised listing with the Hong Kong stock exchange on Monday. The trading is expected to start on December 30. "Due to the dynamic and evolving nature of the relevant US regulations, we have required to exclude US investors," the company wrote. Bloomberg News reported that SenseTime had secured about $512 million from nine cornerstone investors, including state-backed Mixed-Ownership Reform Fund and Shanghai Xuhui Capital Investment Company. The company is still planning to hit the pre-blacklisting $767 million target with 1.5 billion shares at HK$3.85 to HK$3.99 per share. Why did the US blacklist SenseTime? US accuses SenseTime of being part of China's "military-industrial complex" that provides technology for mass surveillance in Xinjiang. It says SenseTime has developed and deployed facial recognition software that can determine a person's ethnicity, including whether someone looks Uyghur. SenseTime refuted the blacklisting, saying that the accusations were unfounded and emphasised that the company was "caught in the middle of geopolitical tension".

China AI firm whose facial recognition tech helps in racial profiling relists IPO in HK after US crackdown

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