China approves over 40 AI models for public use

Chinese authorities have granted approval for over 40 artificial intelligence (AI) models for public use within the initial six months of the regulatory approval process, Chinese media reported.

Chinese regulators recently approved 14 large language models (LLM) for public use, marking the fourth batch of approvals, with companies like Xiaomi Corp, 4Paradigm, and 01.AI among the recipients, as reported by the state-backed Securities Times.

Since August, Beijing has mandated that tech companies secure regulatory approval before making their large language models (LLMs) accessible to the public. This underscores China’s strategy in advancing AI technology while maintaining strict oversight and control.

Beijing approved its first batch of AI models in August shortly after the approval process was adopted. Baidu, Alibaba and ByteDance were among China’s first companies to receive approvals.

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Chinese regulators approved two batches of AI models in November and December, with another batch receiving approval this month. Although the government hasn’t disclosed the approved companies publicly, Securities Times reported on Sunday that over 40 AI models have been granted approval.

Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT gained global prominence in 2022, Chinese companies have been avidly developing AI products. Back then, China possessed 130 large language models (LLMs), constituting 40% of the global total and closely trailing the United States’ 50% share, as reported by brokerage CLSA.

Baidu’s Ernie Bot, one of China’s most prominent ChatGPT-like chatbots, has achieved remarkable success, amassing over 100 million users as confirmed by the company’s CTO in December. This impressive milestone underscores Ernie Bot’s widespread adoption and popularity among users across China.