On July 29, 2025, stories emerged that Bytedance, the dad or mum firm of Tiktok, is engaged on a venture known as “Doubao Auto,” which goals to develop clever automotive options specializing in “cockpit and clever driving” programs. This initiative would combine with Bytedance’s cloud and AI companies platform, Volcano Engine, and is seen as a possible competitor to Huawei’s HarmonyOS clever driving software program, as reported by IT-House.
Volcano Engine, launched in December 2021, supplies cloud and AI merchandise throughout varied industries, together with automotive, finance, and leisure. Within the automotive sector, its purchasers embody main producers resembling Changan Vehicle, GAC Aion, and Lynk & Co. Insider sources recommend Bytedance plans to spend money on an modern driving options firm and has just lately employed a number of former workers from Momenta, a recognized autonomous driving tech agency. The “Doubao Auto” venture seems to be an extension of cloud companies towards clever automobile terminal options.
Earlier in April 2025, Jia Jianxu, president of SAIC Motor, famous cooperation with Volcano Engine and different AI companions to create personalised automobile expertise eventualities and develop a complete modern ecosystem to satisfy particular person consumer wants. Yang Liwei, normal supervisor of Volcano Engine’s automotive division and head of the Good Mobility and Embodiment Analysis Institute, acknowledged that Volcano Engine is collaborating with SAIC to develop an AI cockpit product primarily based on the Doubao massive mannequin. Yang claims this product is designed to supply multimodal notion and performance as a personalised assistant able to anticipating consumer intentions.
Nonetheless, afterward July 29, a spokesperson from Bytedance’s Volcano Engine denied the rumours about “Doubao Auto” being a direct clever driving enterprise. They clarified that whereas Volcano Engine supplies environment friendly algorithm coaching platforms to automotive purchasers, it at the moment has no plans to enter the autonomous driving enterprise.
