Apple is reportedly in talks with Tencent and ByteDance to integrate their AI models into iPhones sold in China. This move aims to counter declining market share and compete with domestic brands like Huawei. The collaboration addresses regulatory constraints, but also highlights ongoing tensions between Apple and Chinese authorities over app store fees. This deal will likely redefine AI integration in the Chinese smartphone market.
US lawmakers are pushing for the removal of TikTok from Apple and Google app stores by January 19th, following a court ruling mandating ByteDance divest its US operations or face a ban. The decision has sparked debate and legal challenges, with TikTok warning of significant consequences for its 170 million American users.
Despite facing a potential US ban, ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, boasts a staggering $300 billion valuation. This surge follows aggressive share buybacks and a surprising shift in stance from US President-elect Donald Trump, who once sought to ban TikTok.
Canada has ordered the dissolution of TikTok’s business operations in the country, citing concerns over national security. The decision comes after a review of the company’s proposed investment and expansion plans. While the government is not blocking access to the app itself, TikTok plans to challenge the order in court. This move follows similar actions by other countries, highlighting growing international anxieties about TikTok’s data security and potential for Chinese government influence.
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has laid off hundreds of human content moderators worldwide as it transitions to an AI-driven content moderation system. This move comes amidst increased regulatory scrutiny and follows recent issues with Instagram’s content moderation system, where errors by human moderators led to user account suspensions.
TikTok, owned by ByteDance, has announced layoffs affecting hundreds of employees globally, with a significant portion in Malaysia. This move is part of the company’s strategy to enhance AI-based content moderation and streamline operations. The layoffs primarily target content moderation staff and come amidst increased regulatory scrutiny in Malaysia and broader restructuring within the company.
ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, has been accused of using a powerful web scraper called ‘Bytespider’ to collect data at an alarming rate, raising concerns about data privacy and ethical AI development practices. This aggressive data collection strategy comes despite ongoing national security concerns surrounding TikTok and the potential for a U.S. ban.
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is reportedly developing a new AI model using chips from Huawei Technologies. This move comes as U.S. restrictions on advanced AI chip exports push ByteDance to seek domestic suppliers. The company is aiming to use Huawei’s Ascend 910B chip to train a large-language AI model, despite facing ongoing U.S. national security concerns and potential bans on TikTok.
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is reportedly developing two new AI GPUs, one for training and one for inference, to reduce its reliance on NVIDIA. The new GPUs will be manufactured using TSMC’s 5nm process node and are expected to enter mass production in 2026. This move comes as ByteDance faces challenges with NVIDIA’s high prices and limited availability of AI GPUs.
TikTok, owned by ByteDance, is challenging the US government’s attempt to force a sale or ban of the platform, arguing its US operations are protected by the First Amendment. The platform draws parallels with American media organizations owned by foreign entities, claiming no precedent supports the government’s argument that foreign ownership negates constitutional rights.
