TechByteDance founder tells staff to avoid AI distillation, The Paper reports

ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming has instructed employees at the Chinese internet giant not to improve its artificial-intelligence models by distilling rival systems, The Paper reported. The state-backed Chinese outlet said the guidance applies even if avoiding the practice comes at the cost of some short-term gains. The report presents the instruction as a message to prioritize the company’s approach to model development over immediate benefits from competitors’ systems.

ByteDanceZhang Yimingartificial intelligencemodel distillation

RReuters★★☆☆☆2026-08-06 07:45Original