TikTok owner ByteDance has dismissed an intern for allegedly sabotaging the training of one of its artificial intelligence (AI) models.
The incident reportedly involved ByteDance’s popular AI chatbot, Doubao. It was first circulated on social media over the weekend, sparking widespread speculation about the extent of the damage.
Intern’s Actions and ByteDance’s Response
ByteDance confirmed the person was part of the company’s advertising technology team and did not have direct experience with the AI Lab.
In a statement, the company described the intern’s actions as “malicious interference.” It clarified reports on the extent of the disruption were exaggerated.
The Chinese technology giant rejected claims the interference had caused more than $10 million in damage or disrupted large-scale AI training systems powered by thousands of graphics processing units (GPUs).
ByteDance emphasized that its commercial operations, including its large language AI models, remained unaffected.
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ByteDance’s Leading Role in AI Development
ByteDance has invested heavily in TikTok AI technologies, using them to power products such as the Doubao chatbot and Jimeng, a text-to-video tool. China’s most popular generative AI model functions similarly to ChatGPT. It offers users the chances to use conversational capabilities through advanced AI algorithms.
ByteDance’s algorithms have gained worldwide recognition for their ability to engage and retain users through personalized content feeds.
ByteDance’s Next Steps
Following the incident, ByteDance took steps to report the intern’s actions to their university and relevant industry bodies.
Despite the sabotage, ByteDance reassured users and stakeholders that its AI systems and broader commercial operations remain secure and fully functional.
The intern was dismissed in August, though the full extent of the consequences remains unclear.
The incident underscores the vulnerabilities that even tech giants face as they expand their AI capabilities, and it highlights the ongoing importance of security and oversight in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
