ByteDance: No plans to build cars or launch car brand
ByteDance hastily stepped forward to clarify "We are not building cars," a scene that feels all too familiar—like a celebrity desperately denying a relationship, only for the entire internet to be digging up matching rings. The statement was neatly written, with points clearly listed one, two, three, but between the lines, there was a palpable anxiety of "please let us off the hook." The Doubao large model, Volcano Engine—these tech services sound impressive enough, but once slapped with the "ca
Analysis
ByteDance hastily stepped forward to clarify "We are not building cars," a scene that feels all too familiar—like a celebrity desperately denying a relationship, only for the entire internet to be digging up matching rings. The statement was neatly written, with points clearly listed one, two, three, but between the lines, there was a palpable anxiety of "please let us off the hook." The Doubao large model, Volcano Engine—these tech services sound impressive enough, but once slapped with the "car-making" label, the capital market might directly slash their valuation in half. At the end of the day, what tech giants fear most right now isn't business losses, but being dragged into the public opinion vortex of "straying from their core mission." No matter how advanced your tech is, in the public memory, you might only remain "that internet company that makes cars," instantly cheapening your brand image. So, this statement from ByteDance is less a clarification and more like donning a golden bell shield: stay away from those money-burning black holes, and let’s just quietly be a technology provider.
But does the market really care about the truth? On the other hand, Doubao's paid model launch led to a staggering drop of 6.1 million monthly active users—a slap in the face to all optimistic predictions of "AI monetization is just around the corner." Users vote with their feet, and that’s more honest than any financial report. Everyone flocked in when it was free, but the moment a fee was introduced, they scattered like birds—this isn’t users freeloading; it’s a product that hasn’t found the pain point that makes users willing to pay. AI applications now are like free samples in a supermarket: trying a bite is fine, but taking it home for a full meal? Sorry, not yet. What’s even more ironic is that while this is happening, DeepSeek’s valuation soared by $15 billion, with giants investing heavily without hesitation. On one side, users can’t afford it; on the other, capital is playing freely—this sense of disconnect is almost surreal. No matter how advanced the technology, if the commercialization path remains stuck in the extensive stage of "first grab the land, then find the sheep," it will inevitably turn into a game of capital self-indulgence.
At this critical juncture, Anthropic is calling for a global slowdown in AI development, warning of the risks of "self-improvement," with a posture reminiscent of the boy who cried "Wolf!" But here’s the question: who wants to stop? When Huawei Cloud opts for "the third path," and when new car-making forces are hemorrhaging 2.3 billion in 90 days yet still holding on, the entire industry feels like a race car with the accelerator pinned to the floor—the brake pads are long gone. Anthropic’s warning sounds noble, but reality is: fall behind, and you might get devoured by competitors. In this prisoner’s dilemma, safety discussions often devolve into PR rhetoric—talk about responsibility, but not a single cent less for R&D budgets. What’s truly chilling is the thought: when AI systems really do start "self-improving," will these giants be the first to cheer and then rush to file patents?
Taobao’s flash sale "Bingbing Festival" is quite pragmatic, combining instant retail with summer consumption scenarios—even Midea and Haier are crossing over to offer "buy now, deliver now, install now." This stands in stark contrast to the restlessness in the AI circle: retail giants meticulously calculate payment cycles and logistics costs, step by step; while AI companies are always dreaming of disrupting the world, only to fail to retain their monthly active users. Perhaps they could learn from this "down-to-earth" wisdom—technology isn’t an edifice built on air; it must first solve the immediate needs of users, like coping with the heat today and wanting an air conditioner installed right away.
Luo Yonghao stepping down as executive director of Smartisan Software, this news buried in the trending topics, feels like a nostalgic footnote. Back then, Old Luo was shouting about acquiring Apple; now, Smartisan phones are practically historical artifacts. The AI industry’s dreams of making cars or becoming gods—aren’t these just another form of "sentimental kill"? When capital heats up, any story dares to be told; when the trend passes, only a mess remains.
At the end of the day, what this industry lacks most isn’t technological breakthroughs, but clarity. ByteDance is rushing to draw a line in the sand, Doubao is awkwardly facing the paywall, and Anthropic is sounding an alarm that nobody is paying attention to—everyone is speeding forward, but no one can clearly say where the finish line is. Perhaps it won’t be until the next bubble bursts that we can truly see: which innovations have actually changed lives, and which are just flashy animations on a PowerPoint slide. Until then, onlookers had better keep their wallets tight—because the tuition fees paid by giants might eventually be indirectly passed on to everyone else.
Disclaimer: The above content is generated by AI and is for reference only.