When the Chinese AI startup DeepSeek drew global attention in early 2025, it not only surprised Silicon Valley but also caught ByteDance—the parent company of TikTok—by surprise. ByteDance had already launched its own AI assistant app, Doubao, which had gained tens of millions of users. Yet, DeepSeek’s sudden rise as China’s top AI company pushed Doubao temporarily into the background.
By August 2025, ByteDance staged a strong comeback. According to Chinese analytics firm QuestMobile, Doubao reclaimed its title as China’s most-used AI app, reaching 157 million monthly active users, while DeepSeek followed with 143 million. Around the same time, the venture capital firm a16z listed Doubao among the world’s top four generative AI apps—just behind ChatGPT and Google Gemini.
First launched in 2023, Doubao was designed to appear friendly and relatable. Its app icon features a cheerful cartoon girl with a short bob haircut, greeting users when they first open the app. The word Doubao means “bean-paste bun,” a nickname ByteDance vice president Alex Zhu described in 2024 as something “a user might give to a dear friend.”
Unlike many Western chatbots, Doubao focuses on warmth and engagement. As Shanghai-based investor Dermot McGrath explains, “ChatGPT feels more like a tool you use and close afterward, while Doubao creates a lively, interactive experience that keeps users involved longer.”
