ByteDance, the Chinese tech giant behind TikTok, has terminated an intern for “maliciously interfering” with one of its internal AI projects. The incident, which gained traction over the weekend on Chinese social media, has since drawn attention to ByteDance’s internal operations. However, the company has denied rumors circulating about the extent of the damage caused.
In a statement, ByteDance clarified that the individual was an intern with the advertising technology team and had no involvement with the company’s AI Lab. They further dismissed claims that the intern’s actions had caused significant disruptions, stating, “Their social media profile and some media reports contain inaccuracies.” ByteDance has notified the intern’s university and relevant industry associations of their misconduct.
Rumors suggested that the intern’s interference caused over $10 million worth of damage by disrupting the AI training system, but ByteDance firmly denied this, asserting that the disruption did not impact their commercial AI operations. The company’s AI systems, including the popular Doubao chatbot and other advanced tools like Jimeng, remained unaffected.
ByteDance, which operates globally with apps like TikTok and Douyin, is known for its investment in AI technology, using it to power several of its innovative tools and enhance user experience. Despite the recent incident, the company’s commitment to AI development continues to drive its industry-leading operations.