Tensions escalated within the artificial intelligence (AI) community when OpenAI, the non-profit responsible for the potent GPT technology, cut connections with ByteDance, the parent entity of the immensely popular TikTok app. This move followed the revelation that ByteDance had covertly employed OpenAI's technology to develop its own AI model, codenamed "Project Seed."
According to The Verge, this practice is generally considered a faux pas in the AI world. It's also in direct violation of OpenAI's terms of service, which state that its model output can't be used "to develop any artificial intelligence models that compete with our products and services." OpenAI is backed by Microsoft, which ByteDance is buying its OpenAI access through, and has the same policy.
ByteDance, already subject to intense official scrutiny due to its Chinese government affiliations and apprehensions related to the popular TikTok app, will now encounter heightened scrutiny following these disclosures. This revelation adds another layer of complexity to ByteDance's operational landscape in the United States.
"All API customers must adhere to our usage policies to ensure that our technology is used for good," OpenAI spokesperson Niko Felix told The Verge. "While ByteDance's use of our API was minimal, we have suspended their account while we further investigate."
"If we discover that their usage doesn't follow these policies, we will ask them to make the necessary changes or terminate their account," the spokesperson added.
The AI race in China heated up in June this year when ByteDance, the tech giant behind TikTok, joined the fray. They began testing their own AI chatbot internally, aiming to become China's answer to ChatGPT, a dominant AI language model from OpenAI. This move put them in direct competition with other tech giants like Alibaba and Baidu, all vying for the top spot in the burgeoning Chinese AI market.
