ByteDance Boosts US AI Team for Human-Like Intelligence Race

SAN JOSE (Azat TV) – Chinese tech giant ByteDance Ltd. is aggressively expanding its artificial intelligence division in the United States, actively hiring for nearly 100 open roles. This significant push aims to accelerate the development of advanced AI, including efforts to create human-like intelligence and general intelligence models, intensifying the global competition with leading US-based AI companies. The expansion, which follows a deal to sell parts of its US TikTok business, has also immediately drawn scrutiny and legal challenges over alleged intellectual property infringement from Hollywood studios, highlighting the high stakes and rapid pace of AI innovation.

ByteDance’s AI team, known as Seed, was established in 2023 and operates labs across the US, Singapore, and China. The new US positions, advertised on ByteDance’s career page, span diverse responsibilities, from producing international data for its large language models to advancing its popular text, image, and video generation tools. A core focus is research dedicated to developing human-like AI and building science models for breakthroughs in drug discovery and design, according to the postings reviewed by Bloomberg.

ByteDance’s Pursuit of Human-Like AI

The company’s ambition to replicate human intelligence is evident in its Seed Edge Research Initiative, which aims to develop “general intelligence models — models that possess human-like learning abilities, interaction capabilities, and tool-use proficiency.” This strategic direction aligns with broader scientific efforts, such as those at MIT, to understand and replicate the mechanisms of natural intelligence. ByteDance’s recent product launches, including the AI video generation model Seedance 2.0 and the image generation model Seedream 5.0, underscore its rapid advancements in generative AI capabilities. Doubao, ByteDance’s chatbot app, was China’s most-downloaded AI chatbot for much of 2025, demonstrating its strong market presence.

Intellectual Property Concerns and the AI Race

Just weeks after the TikTok deal closed, the launch of Seedance 2.0 and Seedream 5.0 thrust ByteDance back into the US spotlight, not without controversy. Hollywood heavyweights, including Walt Disney Co. and Paramount Skydance Corp., quickly accused ByteDance of stealing intellectual property. They sent cease-and-desist letters after Seedance was reportedly used to generate viral alternate endings to popular television shows and fake movie scenes featuring A-list actors. The Motion Picture Association, representing major studios like Netflix Inc. and Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., demanded an immediate halt to what it termed “unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted works on a massive scale.” A ByteDance spokesperson stated the company “respects intellectual property rights” and is “taking steps to strengthen current safeguards” to prevent unauthorized use.

This aggressive US hiring push by ByteDance also coincides with escalating concerns among American lawmakers regarding China’s growing threat to US AI dominance. US Senator Pete Ricketts, a Republican from Nebraska, emphasized the geopolitical implications, stating in December, “What’s at stake is simple: a U.S.-led future that benefits the free world, or a China-led AI order that reshapes the global system in line with their authoritarian values.” Aaron Bartnick, a former Biden White House tech policy official, noted that ByteDance possesses “vast amounts of compute, data, and capital, plus the explicit support of the CCP,” positioning it as a formidable AI powerhouse.

Global AI Market Expansion and Ethical Considerations

The global artificial intelligence market is experiencing explosive growth, projected to soar from an estimated $184.15 billion in 2024 to approximately $2.53 trillion by 2033, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 33.83% from 2025 to 2033, according to a Bloomberg Intelligence report. AI, defined as the replication of human intelligence in computers designed to think, learn, and make decisions, leverages technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and robotics. It is transforming industries from healthcare, where it aids disease diagnosis and therapy development, to finance, where it assists in fraud detection and algorithmic trading. However, this rapid expansion also raises significant ethical questions concerning employment, privacy, and the fairness of decision-making, making regulatory frameworks and sustainable development critical.

The widespread adoption and advancement of AI are also being recognized globally, with the Globee® Awards for Artificial Intelligence launching a call for global entries to honor individuals, teams, and organizations for their achievements in integrating AI technologies across industries. These awards highlight successful implementations that improve operations, enhance customer experiences, strengthen security, and drive innovation worldwide.

The intensifying competition for AI talent and technological leadership, particularly in the pursuit of human-like intelligence, underscores a pivotal moment in global technological development. The rapid pace of innovation, exemplified by ByteDance’s expansion and product launches, alongside the significant market growth, highlights AI’s transformative potential across all sectors, even as it navigates complex challenges related to intellectual property and geopolitical influence.