ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has built what is currently the most popular AI chatbot in China: Doubao. Launched in 2023, the app has risen to the top of the country’s generative AI market, reaching more than 157 million monthly active users by August, according to Chinese analytics firm QuestMobile.
But what’s less known is that Doubao also has an overseas counterpart: Cici. It was released around the same time and features a nearly identical female cartoon avatar as its app icon, except Cici’s has longer hair than Doubao’s. The app is region-locked and not available in either China or the United States, which explains why it’s even more
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