Doubao (豆包) : ByteDance's AI assistant for Q&A, image generation and hands-free voice chats.

ByteDance launched Doubao in August 2023, a free AI assistant built on its in-house language models that has become China's most popular AI chatbot.

Users get text Q&A, image generation and editing, short-video creation, document summaries and hands-free voice calls.

People reach it on web and mobile for writing, study and workplace tasks. ByteDance sells the overseas experience through a separate app, Cici; Doubao itself is Chinese-focused with a Chinese-language interface.

Does Doubao censor responses?

Doubao implements China's content safety requirements, which serve as the unified standard for all domestic large language models in China.

How does Doubao compare to ChatGPT?

Doubao uses ByteDance's proprietary model with strong Chinese capabilities. It has 100M+ users in China, surpassing ChatGPT's China user base. It is integrated with ByteDance's ecosystem (Douyin, Toutiao). English performance lags behind GPT-4.

Can I use Doubao from the US?

Doubao is region-locked to mainland China. Access requires a Chinese phone number and the app must be downloaded from Chinese app stores. The interface is Chinese-only. It does not officially support overseas users.