State-run China Telecom unveils own ChatGPT-like service, joining generative AI competition with Baidu and Alibaba
- China Telecom’s cloud unit CTYun is testing self-developed large language models with plans to launch a service ‘in the near future’
- The telecoms operator has emerged as a top cloud computing provider in China, putting it in direct competition with tech giants Alibaba, Huawei and Tencent
China Telecom’s cloud unit CTYun is testing self-developed pre-trained large language models, the technology that underpins generative AI technology like ChatGPT, which US-based start-up OpenAI launched last November. CTYun will launch its product “in the near future when appropriate”, said company general manager Hu Zhiqiang at an event in Fuzhou, capital of southeastern Fujian province, on Wednesday.
NetEase’s ChatGPT rival lets users build apps with text prompts
China Telecom has quickly established itself as a growing rival in China’s cloud services industry, which is currently dominated by Alibaba, owner of the South China Morning Post.
Internet search giant Baidu, the first major Chinese tech firm to launch ChatGPT rival, said earlier this week that the technology powering its Ernie Bot has achieved a 10-fold improvement in inference efficiency.