ByteDance Is Exploring the Combination of Large Models and Hardware

ByteDance is exploring the integration of large models with hardware, developing AI hardware in-house while also collaborating with external hardware companies.

The head of ByteDance’s AI hardware-related team is Kayden (a pseudonym), who is leading the development of smart headphones that will interact with the Doubao large model and the Doubao app. Kayden is also promoting collaboration between the Doubao large model and smart assistants from other smartphone manufacturers, similar to the partnership between OpenAI and Apple.

ByteDance is also exploring the direction of AI glasses, and may invest in a new company or form an internal team. We have learned that a key figure from a previous large model team at an internet company is working with ByteDance on the development of AI glasses.

According to reports, ByteDance’s AI hardware team’s first product will still be smart headphones. The new feature is that these headphones will incorporate the Doubao large model and will be integrated with the Doubao App, a conversational AI application launched by ByteDance in August 2023: after putting on the smart headphones, users can use Doubao anytime through voice conversation, and they can also control these headphones through the Doubao App.

The AI hardware team at ByteDance is primarily composed of personnel from the smart headphone company Da Shi Future Technology, which was acquired by ByteDance at the end of last year, and is part of the ByteDance AI Product Team Flow.

Additionally, a small number of the Byte AI hardware team members came from a hardware company founded by Kayden in 2020. Some of the company’s patents and team were acquired by Byte in 2022.

ByteDance prefers to recruit entrepreneurs. Kayden had already participated in content entrepreneurship during his graduate studies. After joining ByteDance, Kayden reported to Alex Zhu, ByteDance’s strategic vice president and the head of the ByteDance AI product team, Flow. Li Haoqiang also plays an important role in the ByteDance AI hardware team.

Alex Zhu joined Byte through an acquisition as well. In 2017, Byte acquired Musical.ly, founded by Zhu and Yang Luju in 2014, for $1 billion. The products of Douyin and TikTok have both drawn inspiration from Musical.ly.

In 2022, Yang Luyu left ByteDance to start his own business. A company associated with Yang Luyu launched the AIGC role-playing dialogue product “Museland” this year. Zhu Jun has remained at ByteDance and is currently reporting to ByteDance CEO Liang Rubo.

Besides AI hardware, Flow currently has several AI software and internet applications, including the AI smart assistant Doubao (available in both APP and PC versions), the AI intelligent development platform Kouzi (Chinese version) and Coze (overseas version), the image generation product ButterflyAI, a character dialogue product similar to Character.AI called Miaoxiang (formerly known as Hualu) and Chatwiz, the AI education product Doubao Aixue (formerly Hippo Aixue), and the overseas question search product Gauthmath, among others.

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