The social network TikTok is currently used by nearly 700 million users worldwide, including 11 million French users. A very popular application whose concept lies in the viewing or making of short videos accompanied by music. In order to recommend videos to the user, ByteDance, the media’s parent company, uses artificial intelligence algorithms that are now offered under license to any company that wishes to exploit them.

ByteDance launches BytePlus: its subsidiary to sell TikTok technologies

For several days now, companies have been able to purchase the technologies used in TikTok. BytaDance has created, some time ago, a subsidiary named BytePlus whose objective is to sell the technologies that can be found in TikTok. Among the technologies that the firm sells to interested companies are:

• The video recommendation algorithm: this tool suggests new content to TikTok users that they might like, which other companies can use to personalize their services.
• TikTok’s computer vision technology: it can detect and track 18 points on the body as users dance or pose in front of the camera, which the company says can be used for beauty or fashion applications.
• Real-time effects: a concept that can be found in several of TikTok’s competitors, such as Snapchat or Instagram, these effects allow an animated image (or not) to be traced on the user’s head.
• Automated translation technology: a tool to translate the texts used on TikTok into the languages of all users.

Some companies are already interested in TikTok technologies

BytePlus, founded last June, is based in Singapore with a presence in London and Hong Kong. The division of ByteDance markets its products worldwide and is reportedly in the process of registering a number of trademarks in the United States. However, there is no information on whether the subsidiary has a presence in the country.

Several companies have already used BytePlus to acquire some of the technologies mentioned above, such as the US fashion and sneaker reselling app Goat, Indonesian e-commerce company Chilibeli and travel site WeGo.

By taking the step of selling its AI algorithms, TikTok wants to prove to the United States, but also to other countries around the world that it has nothing to hide. In the future, the company will surely want to overshadow Amazon and Microsoft by taking over the international market, as these two giants also sell many tools for companies that want them.

Translated from Par le biais de sa nouvelle filiale BytePlus, TikTok met en vente ses algorithmes d’intelligence artificielle