ByteDance, the tech giant behind TikTok and Douyin, has launched a new AI application, Jimeng, designed to generate images and videos from text prompts. The app, which translates to "immediate dream," is now available on Apple’s mainland App Store and various local Android platforms, following its initial desktop version release in May.
Jimeng allows users to create up to 80 images or 26 videos for free, with additional content available via a monthly subscription starting at 69 yuan (US$9.70). The app’s release underscores ByteDance's efforts to maintain its competitive edge in the rapidly evolving generative AI (GenAI) technology landscape. This move follows OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT and the preview of its Sora service.
The introduction of Jimeng intensifies competition in China’s nascent AI video-generation market, which is projected to grow from 8 million yuan in 2021 to 9.3 billion yuan by 2026, according to LeadLeo research. ByteDance’s new app faces competition from similar domestic services, including Alibaba’s Tora, Shengshu AI’s Vidu, Zhipu AI’s Ying, Kuaishou Technology’s Kling AI model, and Tencent’s Hunyuan model.
Kelly Zhang Nan, who recently stepped down as Douyin’s CEO to focus on new content-creation platforms, leads the development of Jimeng. Despite its innovative capabilities, Jimeng’s performance has shown variability. A test run by the South China Morning Post revealed mixed results, with some videos displaying inconsistencies.
ByteDance’s Jimeng highlights the company's commitment to advancing AI technology and expanding its portfolio of content-creation tools. As the AI video-generation market in China continues to grow, Jimeng represents a significant step in ByteDance’s strategy to remain at the forefront of technological innovation.