AI pioneer Kai-Fu Lee aims to bring China its ChatGPT moment

While US firms such as OpenAI, Meta Platforms Inc and Alphabet Inc have taken the lead in generative AI, Chinese players are pressing hard to catch up. In addition to 01.AI, tech players including Baidu Inc and TikTok-parent ByteDance Ltd are pouring funds into developing their own AI models and chatbot services. — Bloomberg

The Beijing startup founded by technology pioneer Kai-Fu Lee is introducing its first artificial-intelligence application for consumers, a step aimed at helping China capitalise on the promising technology.

Lee’s firm, 01.AI, is launching a free productivity assistant called Wanzhi, the latest in a series of AI products it’s developing. Similar to Microsoft Corp’s Office 365 Copilot, it helps users create spreadsheets, documents and slide presentations more quickly – though it’s mainly tailored for the Chinese market. It can interpret financial reports, take minutes for meetings and speed-read books as long as Elon Musk’s 600,000-word biography to give a quick synopsis. The app works in Chinese and English.