Tech experts in China are looking to launch A.I applications that can serve as alternatives to the now trending OpenAI conversational platform, ChatGPT.
Amid the surging popularity of the AI chatbot, dubbed ChatGPT, the Chinese tech giants are working on providing Chinese internet users and companies with alternating AI tools.
Just a few months of its emergence, ChatGPT has not only stormed the tech space, it has literally earned a remarkable foothold following tons of interests it has attracted so far. The AI-powered chatbot has gained massive popularity and has become a buzzing topic of discussion for tech companies and internet users.
Launched by US startup OpenAI in mid 2018, the project started with its early version which was dubbed GPT-1. Apparently, it had seen significant increase in its capabilities and improved performance as subsequent versions were later released. Hence, it has become a friend and company to many.
Initiating a new twist, tech experts are seeking to steal the show from ChatGPT after raising concerns to debut alternating applications.
The announcement came in light of concerns on the recent backlashes claiming ChatGPT as a tool that offers unfiltered responses to user queries. Hence, Baidu, Alibaba, iFlytek, NetEase, and other top tech firms in the US and China announced that they are working on launching replicated versions of AI Chatbots that can compete with ChatGPT.
Exploring China’s Stance on ChatGPT Amid Claims of Uncensored Responses
The decision of tech experts to create alternating AI applications came in response to concerns on regulatory backlashes that have been raised against ChatGPT in China’s capital city, Beijing.
There are claims that ChatGPT is offering unfiltered responses to user queries. Hence, Chinese regulators have instructed prominent technology companies to refrain from offering ChatGPT services to the public.
Thus, it is correct to say that this is the reason why the official availability of ChatGPT has been restricted in China. Information from direct sources revealed that the Chinese authorities have directed Tencent Holdings and Ant Group, the fintech affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, to prohibit access to ChatGPT services on their platforms, whether directly or through third-party providers.
While noting that the Chinese government is adamant on blocking ChatGPT, tech firms’ have been triggered to produce AI Chatbots of their own to curtail the use of ChatGPT in the country.
Moreso, the recent business news further revealed that tech firms that have disclosed plans to launch ChatGPT rivalry applications have been mandated to report to regulatory authorities prior to when they would launch the ChatGPT-like services of their own. This is a measure to ensure proper scrutiny of the applications before they find their way to the tech industry.
China Tech Companies Working on ChatGPT Alternatives
To mention a few of the tech companies in China that are on the move to create ChatGPT’s alternating applications for their users are;
- Chinese multinational technology company, Baidu. The company is focused on Internet-related services and products, including artificial intelligence, search engines, and autonomous driving technologies. It announced its ChatGPT rival, dubbed Ernie Bot in February, 2023. Ernie Bot is the result of years of research and development in natural language processing (NLP) and pre-trained large-language models (LLMs), according to the development team of Baidu.
- Another tech firm that has disclosed its ongoing development of a ChatGPT rival is the Damo Academy, a research and development institute that is part of the Alibaba Group. It announced that it is developing an alternative to ChatGPT. However, Alibaba has not confirmed whether this technology will be available on its corporate chat app, DingTalk.
There is no doubt that ChatGPT has retained its relevance in many nations and has continued to see massive adoption despite China’s adverse view of its functionality.
