ByteDance announced Seedance 2.0, a next‑generation AI model that can create short video clips from combined text, image, audio, and video prompts. The system supports up to nine images, three video clips, and three audio clips per request and can produce 15‑second videos that respect camera movement, visual effects, and physical laws. Demonstrations include synchronized figure‑skating routines, anime‑style scenes, and celebrity‑lookalike cinematic fights. Seedance 2.0 is currently available through ByteDance’s Dreamina AI platform and the Doubao assistant, with no clear plan for TikTok integration. Read more →

ByteDance is promoting its overseas AI chatbot Cici in markets such as the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Indonesia through extensive advertising and influencer partnerships. The app, a counterpart to the popular Chinese chatbot Doubao, is region‑locked and unavailable in China or the United States. Cici relies on OpenAI’s GPT and Google’s Gemini for text generation while borrowing technology from other ByteDance platforms. It offers text and audio chat, image generation, and user‑created autonomous agents, but lacks music and video capabilities. Despite limited global brand visibility, Cici has climbed into the top‑20 free apps in several countries, reflecting ByteDance’s willingness to invest heavily in user acquisition. Read more →

ByteDance’s Doubao app has overtaken DeepSeek to become the most popular AI chatbot in China, drawing tens of millions of monthly active users. Designed with a friendly avatar and deep integration with Douyin, Doubao offers text, audio, video, image generation and customizable agents. Analysts credit ByteDance’s expertise in viral app design and seamless cross‑platform sharing for Doubao’s rapid growth, while DeepSeek remains a more minimalist text‑only service. The company is now exploring extensions of Doubao into smart glasses, cars and other devices, signalling an ambition to broaden the AI assistant beyond smartphones. Read more →

OpenAI is preparing a standalone social media app that mirrors TikTok’s vertical video feed but will feature only AI‑generated content. The app will be driven by the upcoming Sora 2 video model, limit clips to ten seconds or less, and include identity‑verification tools that let users’ likenesses be used in generated videos. Copyright safeguards will block certain content, and rights holders can opt out of having their material appear. Analysts suggest the move may capitalize on ongoing regulatory uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s U.S. operations. Read more →

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has launched a new AI image generator called Seedream 4.0. Independent testing by Artificial Analysis shows the model outperforms Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash, nicknamed Nano Banana, on both text‑to‑image and image‑editing tasks. Seedream 4.0 is available through platforms like fal.ai and Replicate, costing $30 for 1,000 generations, and produces images that many users find indistinguishable from real photos, raising concerns about the future of synthetic media. Read more →

A Reddit post highlighted the stark contrast between two AI‑generated images created with the same prompt – a stop sign in a blue sky – one from 2015 and another from 2025. The early image, produced by the alignDRAW model, was blurry and abstract, while the later version, likely using advanced models such as Nano Banana or GPT‑5, displayed crisp details and realistic lighting. The evolution underscores rapid improvements in text‑to‑image technology, exemplified by newer tools like ByteDance’s Seedream 4.0, and raises questions about the future of visual authenticity. Read more →

U.S. and Chinese officials announced an ownership agreement for TikTok, ending a months‑long debate over a potential ban. The deal, confirmed during a trade meeting in Madrid, pushes back the deadline that was set for September 17 for TikTok to divest or face prohibition. President Donald Trump is slated to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 19 to discuss the agreement, while reports suggest Oracle could play a role in the transaction. The resolution aims to address national‑security concerns while preserving access for the platform’s 170 million U.S. users. Read more →

China's Cyberspace Administration has ordered local technology companies, including ByteDance and Alibaba, to cancel orders and halt testing of NVIDIA's latest AI GPU. The directive stops the purchase of the RTX Pro 6000D model and reflects a stricter stance than earlier guidance on older chips. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang expressed disappointment, noting the limitations imposed by the ban. The move follows earlier U.S. export restrictions and comes amid Chinese regulators' assessment that domestic chips now match or exceed foreign offerings. Read more →

China’s Cyberspace Administration has prohibited domestic technology companies, including ByteDance and Alibaba, from buying Nvidia AI chips such as the RTX Pro 6000D server. The move follows earlier encouragement for firms to use locally‑made alternatives. Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang expressed disappointment but affirmed the company will respect the market’s wishes. The ban adds to a broader backdrop of U.S. licensing requirements that have limited Nvidia’s sales in China, with the firm forecasting significant revenue loss and noting that recent U.S. license approvals have yet to translate into actual shipments. Read more →

Sources indicate that TikTok’s sale of its U.S. operations will not be completed for at least another month, as negotiations between the United States and China continue. The Treasury Secretary confirmed a framework agreement, while Oracle remains the app’s cloud partner. The deal, which could be finalized within the next 30 to 45 days, may involve a group of investment firms taking control, but details on size and public disclosure remain unclear. Read more →

In the latest Engadget podcast, senior writer Sam Rutherford discusses the newly released iPhone 17 Air, assessing its thin design, battery performance, and how it fits within the broader iPhone 17 lineup, including the iPhone 17 Pro and the base model. The episode also covers Meta's Connect 2025 keynote, highlighting the introduction of Ray‑Ban Display smart glasses and speculating on their market impact. Additional topics include a developing TikTok partnership framework, potential U.S. licensing of ByteDance's original algorithm, and rumors surrounding a touchscreen MacBook Pro. The show wraps up with quick news bites and cultural picks. Read more →

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has launched a new AI image generator called Seedream 4.0. Independent testing by Artificial Analysis shows the model outperforms Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash, nicknamed Nano Banana, on both text‑to‑image and image‑editing tasks. Seedream 4.0 is available through platforms like fal.ai and Replicate, costing $30 for 1,000 generations, and produces images that many users find indistinguishable from real photos, raising concerns about the future of synthetic media. Read more →

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has launched a new AI image generator called Seedream 4.0. Independent testing by Artificial Analysis shows the model outperforms Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash, nicknamed Nano Banana, on both text‑to‑image and image‑editing tasks. Seedream 4.0 is available through platforms like fal.ai and Replicate, costing $30 for 1,000 generations, and produces images that many users find indistinguishable from real photos, raising concerns about the future of synthetic media. Read more →

A Reddit post highlighted the stark contrast between two AI‑generated images created with the same prompt – a stop sign in a blue sky – one from 2015 and another from 2025. The early image, produced by the alignDRAW model, was blurry and abstract, while the later version, likely using advanced models such as Nano Banana or GPT‑5, displayed crisp details and realistic lighting. The evolution underscores rapid improvements in text‑to‑image technology, exemplified by newer tools like ByteDance’s Seedream 4.0, and raises questions about the future of visual authenticity. Read more →

A Reddit post highlighted the stark contrast between two AI‑generated images created with the same prompt – a stop sign in a blue sky – one from 2015 and another from 2025. The early image, produced by the alignDRAW model, was blurry and abstract, while the later version, likely using advanced models such as Nano Banana or GPT‑5, displayed crisp details and realistic lighting. The evolution underscores rapid improvements in text‑to‑image technology, exemplified by newer tools like ByteDance’s Seedream 4.0, and raises questions about the future of visual authenticity. Read more →

U.S. and Chinese officials announced an ownership agreement for TikTok, ending a months‑long debate over a potential ban. The deal, confirmed during a trade meeting in Madrid, pushes back the deadline that was set for September 17 for TikTok to divest or face prohibition. President Donald Trump is slated to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 19 to discuss the agreement, while reports suggest Oracle could play a role in the transaction. The resolution aims to address national‑security concerns while preserving access for the platform’s 170 million U.S. users. Read more →

U.S. and Chinese officials announced an ownership agreement for TikTok, ending a months‑long debate over a potential ban. The deal, confirmed during a trade meeting in Madrid, pushes back the deadline that was set for September 17 for TikTok to divest or face prohibition. President Donald Trump is slated to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 19 to discuss the agreement, while reports suggest Oracle could play a role in the transaction. The resolution aims to address national‑security concerns while preserving access for the platform’s 170 million U.S. users. Read more →

China's Cyberspace Administration has ordered local technology companies, including ByteDance and Alibaba, to cancel orders and halt testing of NVIDIA's latest AI GPU. The directive stops the purchase of the RTX Pro 6000D model and reflects a stricter stance than earlier guidance on older chips. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang expressed disappointment, noting the limitations imposed by the ban. The move follows earlier U.S. export restrictions and comes amid Chinese regulators' assessment that domestic chips now match or exceed foreign offerings. Read more →

China's Cyberspace Administration has ordered local technology companies, including ByteDance and Alibaba, to cancel orders and halt testing of NVIDIA's latest AI GPU. The directive stops the purchase of the RTX Pro 6000D model and reflects a stricter stance than earlier guidance on older chips. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang expressed disappointment, noting the limitations imposed by the ban. The move follows earlier U.S. export restrictions and comes amid Chinese regulators' assessment that domestic chips now match or exceed foreign offerings. Read more →

China’s Cyberspace Administration has prohibited domestic technology companies, including ByteDance and Alibaba, from buying Nvidia AI chips such as the RTX Pro 6000D server. The move follows earlier encouragement for firms to use locally‑made alternatives. Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang expressed disappointment but affirmed the company will respect the market’s wishes. The ban adds to a broader backdrop of U.S. licensing requirements that have limited Nvidia’s sales in China, with the firm forecasting significant revenue loss and noting that recent U.S. license approvals have yet to translate into actual shipments. Read more →