ByteDance hits play on AI video creator while Sora seems paused

ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, has launched a new AI-driven text-to-video mobile app called Jimeng AI, exclusively in the Chinese market. Jimeng allows users to create short videos by processing text prompts in Chinese, which is a feature not offered by many other AI video-making tools. The app also includes a text-to-image generator and is designed to produce content formatted for platforms like TikTok. Available only in China for now, Jimeng could become a significant competitor to other AI video platforms like OpenAI's Sora. Users in China can subscribe to Jimeng for a monthly fee of 69 yuan ($9.65), with options for a one-month trial or an annual subscription. The app showcases a range of video styles, from cartoony to realistic, with examples like a personified panda competing in the Paris Olympics. Jimeng's release adds to the growing competition among AI video producers, which includes global options like Kuaishou's Kling AI. ByteDance may use Jimeng to expand its influence in consumer tech and enhance TikTok's dominance in social video services. However, ByteDance's ongoing legal battles in the U.S. over TikTok could limit Jimeng's global expansion. The rise of AI video tools like Jimeng reflects the broader trend of these technologies becoming as ubiquitous as photo and video filters today.